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Legends are made in the Super Bowl. Montana, Bradshaw, Namath and Brady are just some of the surnames that need no first name to provide clarification, in great part due to their Super Bowl performances.The same can be said for the names Swann, Rice an…
Outplayed. Out Coached. Out Classed!
I admit I couldn’t find a major flaw in yesterdays game because just about everything the Giants did was executed poorly.
But for now…lets bring the glass to half full and address the immediate c…
Every August as the summer winds down, the anticipation of football season grows. The highs and the lows, pure joy coupled with pure agony are the stops on the fantasy football roller coaster every fall. It all begins with the most exciting day this side of the Superbowl, the day of the fantasy draft.
The draft can very well determine the course that your team will follow for the rest of the year. If you miss on a player in the early rounds and you could be spending the rest of the season desperately raiding the wavier wire for suitable fill-ins. Anyone who has played at least one season can relate and this conundrum can be avoided with a quality draft.
So how do you put together a “quality draft”? The answer depends on what you consider “quality.” My definition of quality is drafting players who hold more value than their draft positions. For example, if you draft a player in the fourth round who produces more fantasy points than a player drafted in the second at the same position, then you drafted a quality player.
The Strategy:
There are many strategies that can be used when drafting a fantasy football team. One is to load up on a key position (usually RB) and hope to either score enough points with that position or trade some of the depth for other key position players later.
Which ever strategy you use, a good draft is the foundation for sustained competitiveness over the course of a season.
To complete a quality draft you have to pay attention to trends in the league and do a little homework about the teams in the league. For example, the NFL has become much more pass oriented in the last few years. When teams pass the ball more often Quarterbacks, receivers, and receiving running backs become more valuable.
This alters the conventional draft wisdom of solely loading up on running backs in the early rounds. With the passing offenses of today, you can ill afford to “pass” up the chance to acquire a top flight QB in the early rounds along with the quality running backs.
If you do not pick up a top QB your team will fall behind when the season hits its stride and teams start to open up their passing games.
Although running backs are still the anchor for your team, a lack of WR depth can derail your championship hopes fast. The last couple of years I have been burned by terrible WR years, by Steve Smith (CAR) in 2009 and Marvin Harrison/Santana Moss in 2008. Because of the fickle nature of the WR position you want to hold out on drafting your WR’s until your league starts picking them up, and once they do make sure to grab a couple fast.
You do not stand a chance to make the playoffs without a certified primary target at WR. WR has always been a source of trouble for my drafts in the past and I believe it is one of the hardest positions to get consistent production from.
This year I hope to target Colston, Reggie Wayne or S. Smith (NYG) as a second tier primary target. You want to choose a WR who is not any lower than the second option in the passing game like a Reggie Wayne or Larry Fitzgerald.
Do not get fooled by false targets such as Santonio Holmes, Santana Moss, or any receiver on the Dolphins (incl. Brandon Marshall). Recievers will look good on paper but will disappoint you on a weekly basis due to their teams reliance on the run and shaky quarterback play.
My super sleeper QB picks of the draft (I know they had good years in 09, but they will take another step forward):
Joe Flacco, Jay Cutler, and Eli Manning and the deep sleeper….Alex Smith
So, as your draft progresses you want to make sure you fill your team with quality depth, especially at WR and RB. You also want to keep an eye on a QB as a bye week fill in and manage the rest of your teams bye week absences. The best bet is to look for the underrated backs or rookies poised to explode.
This year the list of under the radar RB’s include:
Arian Foster (HOU), Ahamd Bradshaw (NYG), Jahvid Best (DET), Beanie Wells (ARI), and Shonn Greene (NYJ).
As for the WRs set to explode on to the scene:
Michael Crabtree (SF), Pierre Garcon (IND), Jeremy Maclin (PHI), Johnny Knox (CHI), and possibly even Malcolm Floyd in the absence of Vincent Jackson.
I generally follow the following draft pattern to build a quality team:
QB/RB, RB/QB, RB, RB/WR, WR, TE/WR, TE,…the rest depth and Def.
It can be difficult to follow suit with a strategy when a draft is so dynamic and unpredictable, but keep your eye on the goal of building a quality team with consistent producers at multiple positions.
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With preseason games underway, there are some significant changes to the running back injuries. Let’s take a look at whose value has taken a hit, and who is on the rise.
- Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans
- Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings
- Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars
- Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens
- Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers
- Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams
- Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons
- DeAngelo Williams – Carolina Panthers
- Ryan Grant – Green Bay Packers
- Rashard Mendenhall – Pittsburgh Steelers
- LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia Eagles
- Jonathan Stewart – Carolina Panthers
- Knowshon Moreno – Denver Broncos
- Beanie Wells – Arizona Cardinals
- Ryan Mathews – San Diego Chargers
- Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals
- Jamaal Charles – Kansas City Chiefs
- Shonn Greene – New York Jets
- Pierre Thomas – New Orleans Saints
- Ronnie Brown – Miami Dolphins
- Matt Forte – Chicago Bears
- Felix Jones – Dallas Cowboys
- Arian Foster – Houston Texans
- Clinton Portis – Washington Redskins
- Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts
- C. J. Spiller – Buffalo Bills
- Brandon Jacobs – New York Giants
- Ahmad Bradshaw – New York Giants
- Jahvid Best – Detroit Lions
- Marion Barber – Dallas Cowboys
- Darren McFadden – Oakland Raiders
- Thomas Jones – Kansas City Chiefs
- Jerome Harrison – Cleveland Browns
- Justin Forsett – Seattle Seahawks
- Cadillac Williams – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Montario Hardesty – Cleveland Browns
- Chester Taylor – Chicago Bears
- Ricky Williams – Miami Dolphins
- Fred Jackson – Buffalo Bills
- LaDanian Tomlinson – New York Jets
Thoughts:
- Ben Tate’s season has ended before it started, having suffered a broken ankle in the preseason’s first game. With Steve Slaton fumbling, a problem that haunted him in 2009, Arian Foster could be primed to be the RB1. He was impressive in the preseason opener with four rushes for 31 yards. He seems like a lock to get the bulk of the carries at this point.
- Ryan Grant suffered a concussion in the preseason opener. His spot in the rankings isn’t dropping yet, but it certainly is possible depending on the severity and if he’s forced to miss time.
- Fred Jackson broke a bone in his hand and may miss the opening to the season. That opens the door for C.J. Spiller to emerge right away, and he may never look back. Jackson hangs on the rankings, but as nothing more than a late round flier now. He should still get carries upon his return, but his role could be reduced if Spiller grabs hold of this opportunity.
- There are rumblings that Ahmad Bradshaw could overtake Brandon Jacobs as the Giants’ RB1. I’m not putting much stock in Bradshaw’s start against the Jets, either. I’ll believe the change when I see it, but if you are going to draft one, you would be best served to have them both to protect yourself.
- Could the Chiefs actually give Thomas Jones more carries then Jamaal Charles? I’m not buying it, and not moving Charles down from my rankings. The news that Thomas could start does bump him up a few spots, however.
- Knowshon Moreno’s hamstring injury drops him a few spots, but don’t be deceived. My stance on him is unchanged. I still consider him a huge breakout candidate for 2010 (click here for my thoughts, which were written prior to the injury).
- I recently took a closer look at Darren McFadden, concluding that he was definitely worth drafting as a depth option. To find out why, click here for my thoughts.
- Rashard Mendenhall has moved into my Top 10, almost by default, but I don’t view him as a first round talent. Click here to find out why.
- People may be overvaluing Ryan Mathews, but he certainly looked impressive in his first professional action. He rushed the ball nine times for 50 yards, while adding a pair of receptions. He gets a slight boost in value.
- Is Beanie Wells a Top 25 player? Click here to find out why I don’t think so.
- Brian Westbrook has joined the San Francisco 49ers, where he will assume the backup role after Glen Coffee retired abruptly. Depending on how much playing time he gets behind Frank Gore will determine if he ultimately sneaks onto the list.
What are your thoughts on these rankings? Who is ranked too high? Who is ranked too low?
Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s other 2010 rankings:
Also, make sure to check out our recent rookie rankings:
THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM/FOOTBALL
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Throughout the off-season, the Giants have done their very best to avoid being sucked into the Hard Knocks circus that is the New York Jets. Most Giants have dismissed their brash stadium shareholders, stating that they will take care of their business on the field.
Come Monday, the Giants will have an opportunity to do so. Or at least, that is what will be said leading up to the game. Forget the columns that will be inked emphasizing the importance of Monday’s showdown; this game has no bearing on anything at all.
If the Jets win, we will hear for one week that the Jets have cemented their legacy as the true owners of the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Forget that it was the immortal Kellen Clemens that ultimately led the team to victory, and ignore the fact that it was the soon to be unemployed Seth Williams that got burnt for the game-winning touchdown, this game will prove that the Jets are the real show in town.
That’s what’s at stake in this game. While the post-game banter following a Jets victory would be irritating, it’s completely moot in the grand scheme of the 2010 season. Here’s a look at what truly is critical this Monday night for the men in blue.
1. Avoid injuries
At this point, this probably goes without saying. On Friday, the Giants were forced to practice with safeties playing receiver and linebackers playing tight end. Yikes. Luckily, no injury sustained in training camp has cost any Giants their seasons—yet.
In 2007, I vividly remember a fired up Ray Lewis leading a pre-game huddle that would be more fitting for that forgettable meeting the Giants and Ravens had in 2000, not a pre-season game.
The Ravens flew around that night, leaving four significant Giants injured. While Ray Lewis was the one visibly pumping his players up, I have to believe it was Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan pulling the strings.
I expect that type of energy to be present on Monday night. Despite the meaningless nature of this game, it is important that the Giants match the Jets’ bravado. At a minimum, we know Terrell Thomas will, as he is currently engaged in a war of words with Bart Scott.
If they don’t, there’s a good chance they will be dominated out of the gate. With the Hard Knocks cameras rolling, and everything “at stake,” the Jets are going to start the game like it’s December. The Giants will stay in control, but in order to avoid physical issues, they better bring it.
2. Who’s going to emerge as punt returner?
Aaron Ross entered the draft as a recipient of the Jim Thorpe Trophy, an achievement earned by the nation’s top cornerback. But he also worked double-duty as a dangerous return man in 2006, averaging 10+ yards a return, and even taking one to the house.
Domenik Hixon’s mini-camp mini-disaster has opened up the gates for a new punt returner to emerge. Aaron Ross could be his replacement, but the last time the Giants experimented with a cornerback who wears number 31 at kick returner—well that didn’t end so great.
Mario Manningham was given an opportunity to return punts last year, and he showed some of the explosiveness that was last seen at Michigan after being invisible his rookie season.
But there was a latent sense of impending doom seemingly every time he waited on the ball. The talent is certainly there, but Tom Coughlin is extremely intolerant of special teams gaffes, and he has the foresight to realize which returner is prone to silly mistakes that could completely change the course of the game.
Other candidates for the job include training camp sweetheart Victor Cruz, and the uncuttable Sinorice Moss. Special teams have proven to be a real asset for teams allowing them to generate good field position on a consistent basis. It’s important that the Giants find a reliable returner with the ability to break one every now and then. The search begins Monday.
3. How will Andre Brown look?
Before he sustained a torn Achilles tendon, Andre Brown was raising eyebrows in training camp. He quickly drew comparisons to Derrick Ward for his smooth running style and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. While the injury was upsetting, the Giants still appeared to be in good hands with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw splitting the load.
That turned out to not be the case. Jacobs was a shell of himself last season, and Ahmad Bradshaw’s two broken feet proved to drag his performance down after a fantastic start. The Giants couldn’t muster an effective running game, which forced the passing game to be perfect week in and week out, which in turn led to short drives, thereby further exposing the defensive woes.
Brown is back this year with history potentially on the line. No running back has ever come back effectively from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Andre Brown may hope that this is a breakable curse, but the Giants are depending on it.
Both Jacobs and Bradshaw are injuries waiting to happen. This increases the value of the Giants third running back. With D.J. Ware seemingly unable to improve upon his legendary pre-season performances, Andre Brown could be seeing significant regular season action sooner than we all believe.
He has supposedly been cutting well in camp, but it will be interesting to watch how he performs in his first ever game action. His recovery could prove to be much more important to the Giants success than we initially believed at the start of camp.
4. Oh right, how about that defense?
After last year it’s hard to believe there’s three aspects of the team that were addressed before the defense. Last year, the defense was hyped up all off-season after the Giants front office spent the off-season replenishing the defense with speed and youth.
In the pre-season, the unit looked surprisingly pedestrian. In game two against Chicago, Matt Forte gashed through the Giants run defense and Cutler had his way with the secondary. Yet instead of realizing this was foreshadowing failure, many dismissed the performance as a fluke.
While it’s important not to over-react if the defense struggles again this pre-season, a strong defensive performance in August could instill confidence into the group going into the season.
5. The backup offensive line has to step up
Besides creating depth for an aging starting offensive line, what significance does the backup linemen’s performance really have?
Last pre-season we saw first hand how a porous offensive line can hinder a team. The young receiving group that needed an opportunity to prove what they can do never got that chance because either David Carr or Jim Sorgi had very little time to get rid of the ball.
Consequently, we never got to see Barden’s ability to stretch the field as he had been doing in Albany. Before he could even turn around and see whether or not the ball was thrown his away, the quarterback had likely been hit.
It was disappointing. The quarterbacks looked nervous, and the skill players never got to display their skills. If the backup unit steps up this year, then maybe we will get a chance to see young players step up in ways we would never see if the line continues to be overmatched by defensive backups.
Prediction: Giants edge out the Jets 23-22 as the Jets fail to convert a two-point conversion attempt with one minute left.
One last note: Isn’t it nice to read a pre-season game preview without Eli Manning being the focal point of what to watch for? It’s certainly a privilege to have a proven starting quarterback nowadays.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
