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Week 7 Fantasy Football Projections: More Quarterback Picks

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:11:00 +0000

So you’re in need of a quarterback for your fantasy football team in Week 7?

Well, you have come to the right place. While will get to our sleeper picks for Week 7 in a later article, I do have a few more viable quarterback options for you right here.

Here are our Week 7 fantasy football projections at the quarterback position:

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings
Ben Roethlisberger is truly a man among boys right now. What he is doing from the quarterback position this season is such a transformation from what he has been asked to do in the past that I’m seriously considering him for our next round of Fantasy Football MVPs. Last week alone, Big Ben threw for 417 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and a marvelous 21-fantasy-point performance, a plateau he has reached 3 weeks in a row as we enter Week 7. Speaking of Week 7, the Steelers host the Vikings, a team that clearly has some holes on defense. You can start with the cornerback position opposite of Antoine Winfield and see just how much of an advantage Big Ben has there. Also, the Vikings defense was exploited last week by the Ravens and what little Ray Rice did to them in them in the second half. Entering Week 7 of the fantasy football season, the Vikings are 24th against the pass and are giving up a whopping 91.0 quarterback rating to their opponents. So say what you will about those Vikings and their Super Bowl chances, but without a solid defense to boot, especially in the passing game, there’s a very good chance that Big Ben could put a damper on the Vikings Super Bowl aspirations with another one of those 300+ yard games that we have come so accustomed to all of a sudden.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The only reason I am considering Brady among the secondary picks, instead of my main picks, is because I want to make sure that Brady is all the way back and that it wasn’t the Titans and the weather conditions that saw him toss 6 touchdowns this past Sunday. But even if that big performance was “snow-aided,” the Buccaneers pass defense is so abysmal that it’s quite possible that we could see a repeat performance down in Tampa. Don’t be fooled by the fact that Tampa ranks 11th against the pass—that’s a result of being so bad that teams are running the clock out on the Bucs. To get a real sense of the Bucs defense, all you have to do is look at the fact that Tampa’s opponents are averaging a 101.0 quarterback rating against them on defense—one of the highest opposing ratings in the league. Thus, I would say it’s safe to say that Brady is a very safe play in Week 7, especially since we know that the Patriots have no intention of running out clock once the game gets out of whack.

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants
Last week, Warner showed us yet again why he is still a force to be reckoned with in this league. In Week 6, Warner threw for 276 yards and 2 touchdown passes, ultimately scoring 15 fantasy football points. It was nothing special and it’s not even close to being one of Warner’s better games, but that kind of efficient performance is a great demonstration of leadership and focus, two things every quarterback has to have. And if you don’t think those things are important in fantasy football think again. All of the quarterbacks that are doing well right now fantasy-wise, such as Peyton Manning, Big Ben, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Kyle Orton, are doing so because they are smart individuals who can lead their teams to victories and take care of the football. So coupling Warner’s experience with the fact that he’ll be throwing to his 3 talented wide receivers against a Giants defense that was just gutted by the Saints this past Sunday, I really like Warner’s chances for success, and I do believe he will put up impressive fantasy numbers here in Week 7.

This is just one of our many Week 7 fantasy football projections. For more fantasy football analysis and opinion, check out these posts:

Fantasy Football Week 7 Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Fantasy Football Quarterback Projections
2. Fantasy Football Running Back Projections
3. Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Projections
4. Fantasy Football Tight End Projections
5. Fantasy Football Defensive Projections

Fantasy Football Sleeper Picks, Week 7
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks

Week 7 Fantasy Football Projections
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Fantasy Football Week 4 Sleeper Picks: Julius Jones, Running Back

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:59:00 +0000

With a couple of top running backs out (Brian Westbrook, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams) due to fantasy football’s first bye week of the season, there is room at the top of the mountain for some of the less heralded runners in fantasy football. Here is one of my Week 4 fantasy football sleeper picks at the running back position.

Julius Jones, Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts

Julius Jones didn’t get any love in the preseason—at least not from the fantasy football world. He was getting drafted in late-late rounds, and I got him for $1 in my fantasy football auction draft.

But in just 3 weeks this season, Jones already has two 18-fantasy point games (ESPN Standard Scoring), two touchdowns, and two games for which he has gone over 100-all purpose yards. He is averaging 14.3 fantasy points per game, and that includes Week 2 when he left the game early due to an injury. Seriously, this man is having a very viable season fantasy-wise, and it shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Entering Week 4 of the fantasy football season, Jones is completely healthy and appears to have kept running back Edgerrin James on the sideline for the time being. Thus, as he and the Seahawks prepare to face off against the Colts ill-fated rushing defense, I have no choice but to make Jones one of my sleeper picks for Week 4.

The Colts rushing defense is egregious. Sure, they did a nice job against Arizona’s rushing attack—then again, Arizona doesn’t have a rushing attack, so that explains that. Unfortunately for the Colts, the Seahawks do have a rushing game, and they will use it. Last week, en route to a 98-yard rushing game, Jones had 19 carries and caught a screen pass for a touchdown. His speed, ability to break tackles, and good hands out of the backfield make him a nightmare matchup for a Colts defense that is still likely to be without Bob Sanders.

Also, the prospect of Matt Hasselbeck not being healthy for Week 4 is a good thing for Jones owners. If Seneca Wallace starts in place of Hasselbeck, the Seahawks will have to rely on the running game more than they usually do, which could mean even more carries for Jones. Not to mention, just about every team that plays the Colts (outside of the Cardinals) will do their best to keep Peyton Manning on the sideline by running down the clock. Seahawks coach Jim Mora is a very likely candidate to employ such a strategy given that he has always been a big proponent of the running game dating back to his days with the Atlanta Falcons.

So for Week 4 you can stay down on Julius Jones if you want to. However, in my opinion, he appears to have a hold on the majority of the Seahawks carries, and in a matchup with the Colts, I’ll take the opposing feature back any day of the week.

That is just one of our fantasy football sleeper picks for Week 4. For more sleeper picks and fantasy football Week 4 projections, check out the articles below…

Week 4 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Pick: David Garrard
2. Quarterback Sleeper Pick: Jason Campbell
3. Running Back Sleeper Pick: Julius Jones
4. Running Back Sleeper Pick: Darren McFadden
5. Tight End Sleeper Picks
6. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Fantasy Football Week 4 Projections
1. Quarterbacks Week 4 Projections
2. Running Back Week 4 Projections
3. Wide Receiver Week 4 Projections
4. Tight End Week 4 Projections
5. Defensive Week 4 Projections

Fantasy Football Week 4 Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Fantasy Football Secondary Picks – Quarterbacks
2. Fantasy Football Secondary Picks – Running Backs
3. Fantasy Football Secondary Picks – Wide Receivers
4. Fantasy Football Secondary Picks – Tight Ends
5. Fantasy Football Secondary Picks – Defenses

Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Well, for those of you who thought getting Drew Brees in the middle of the first round was a bright idea, you’re looking pretty smart right now. But with the way things are panning out among running backs, there’s no doubt that going running-back, running-back to open your fantasy football draft was not a bad idea in a year heavy on top talent, and low on the middle reserves.

Entering Week 3 of the fantasy football season, the top 5 running backs have quarterback-like fantasy totals. However, the next 5 fall off, with the 10th best running-back to date averaging a mere 13.5 fantasy points per game—a very unimpressive two weeks to say the least.

So if you’re off to a rough start and didn’t get two running backs of high quality, you may have a rough time getting back in your fantasy football league, because the depth of running backs appears to be lacking this fantasy football season.

Here are your Week 3 fantasy football rankings at the running back position:

1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings – 52 Fantasy Football Points (ESPN Standard)
What can you say about Adrian that hasn’t already been said. His 17-point outing in Week 2 actually had many of his owners disappointed. I’m sure he’ll get it going again in Week 3, when the 49ers pay a visit to Minnesota.

2. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers – 51 Fantasy Points
Gore jumped a long way this week. After racking up just 16 points and 30 yards on the ground in Week 1, Gore came up with a 207-yard outing in Week 2 to put a big fat 35-point day on the boards of fantasy football players everywhere. Gore’s big day came at the expense of the Seattle Seahawks, but it will be hard to commit such damage against Minnesota, when the #1 and #2 running backs in fantasy football square off in Week 3, this Sunday.

2. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans – 51 Fantasy Points
Talk about another guy who came up with a huge performance in Week 2! Johnson got the best of the Houston defense, finishing the day with 197 yards rushing and 87 yards passing to go along with his 3 touchdowns. If you lost with Chris Johnson on your team in Week 2, you mine as well forfeit the season.

4. Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens – 39 Fantasy Points
There’s quite a gap between #2 and #4 here, but McGahee still deserves his due. Most fantasy football players didn’t even have McGahee starting for the Ravens, but here he is, as one of the most productive running backs in football to-date.

5. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills – 35 Fantasy Points
Jackson is definitely taking advantage of his opportunities. With Marshawn Lynch set to return to the Bills in Week 4, Jackson’s time is running out, but so far, he has amassed 220 yards on the ground and 108 yards through the air, making him one of the top back sin the league.

6. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys – 34 Fantasy Points
Can you only imagine how many more points Barber would have had he not damaged his hamstring on that long run Sunday night? Nevertheless, don’t expect to see Barber up here in Week 4, as that injury appears to be quite serious.

7. Darren Sproles – 32 Fantasy Points
With LT out, he might be among the top 10 for a while.

8. Ronnie Brown – 30 Fantasy Points
How about that wildcat!

8. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals – 30 Fantasy Points
I drafted him in my Gold Dinner league. Best pick of my draft!

10. Thomas Jones, New York Jets – 27 Fantasy Points
Jones better score more than he did in Week 2 (5 Fantasy Points) if he wants to remain among the top 10 running backs in fantasy football.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Quarterback Picks
2. Running Back Picks
3. Wide Receiver Picks
4. Tight End Picks
5. Defensive Picks

Week 3 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Fantasy Football Projections Week 3: More Wide Receivers

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:43:00 +0000

If you have found a wide receiver that is producing every week for you, hold on to him tight. While there appears to be several receiving options early on in the year, as the 2009 fantasy football season progresses, the consistency of players at this position will surely fade.

Just look at the up and down performances we have already had. Mario Manningham was average in Week 1, but put up 21 fantasy points in Week 2. Mike Sims-Walker (Jaguars) looked like Jerry Rice in Week 2, and like Jerry Seinfeld in Week 1. And Steve Smith (Giants) came out of nowhere with a decent 19-point fantasy football performance against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let’s face it, not all of these guys will be a top the league by Week 10.

Knowing that, I’m going with a couple of guys you can depend on for the entire season. Here in my secondary wide receiver picks for Week 3 of the fantasy football season, I came up with a few names that should have no problem giving you double-digit numbers each and every Sunday afternoon.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
After a Week 1 performance in which Andre Johnson didn’t do much of anything against the New York Jets defense, Johnson came back with a bang, and the highlight performance of the young season. Johnson’s 10 catches, 149 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns led all receivers in fantasy points in Week 2, putting him back on top of the mountain where he belongs. In Week 3, Johnson will face a Jaguars defense that has gotten torched the last couple of weeks. Last week, the Jags gave up an NFL record 24 for 26 performance to Kurt Warner and Cardinals, and Larry Fitzgerald made quick work of them getting his touchdown pass early. And in Week 1, I know that you remember the unbelievable 10-catch, 162-yard and a touchdown outing Reggie Wayne put up against the Jags. Needless to say, Johnson is just the next receiver in line to take a shot at dismantling the Jags secondary. I’m sure he’ll come through with another 100-yard game at least one touchdown.

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Believe it or not, but Jackson has become one of the more reliable wide receivers in the game. No matter where he lines up on the field, and no matter how they get the ball to him, Jackson makes plays whenever he has the football in his hands. Last week, Jackson started off dominating, catching a 71-yard touchdown for a score on the Eagles opening drive. And I certainly don’t see why that can’t happen in Week 3, when the Chiefs come to Philly with a pass defense that the Ravens exploited at will in Week 1. McNabb or no McNabb, the Eagles are intent on getting the ball in Jackson’s hands, and when he gets into that Chiefs secondary, it is sure to be lights out for the speedy receiver. This could be a very big day for Jackson, who often thrives against inexperienced corners, despite being relatively young himself. Expect several big plays out of DeSean in Week 3, as both he and the Eagles are likely to make quick work of the Chiefs.

Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills
The fans of Buffalo will be no match for the Saints offensive attack. Drew Brees is absolutely on fire, and his offense appears to be on a mission to put up 40 points in every game they play this year. Marques Colston is the biggest benefactor of Brees’ hot streak, as he is the #1 receiver on this #1 offense, and he demonstrated that last week with 2 big touchdown catches against the Eagles. Colston should have no problem doing whatever it is he wants to do to the Bills, as his size and speed are going to be too much for Buffalo’s cornerbacks. And don’t worry about Brees spreading the ball around, because when the Saints get in the red zone, his first read is always Colston, and in Week 3, Colston is sure to show us why.

Those are our secondary picks for Week 3 of the 2009 fantasy football season. Here are some of our other Week 3 projections and predictions:

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Quarterback Picks
2. Running Back Picks
3. Wide Receiver Picks
4. Tight End Picks
5. Defensive Picks

Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 3 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Fantasy Football Week 3 Projections: More Quarterbacks

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:40:00 +0000

It was good to see Carson Palmer (one of my Week 2 picks) come through with a very impressive fantasy point outing against the Green Bay Packers defense. Perhaps, there are some more “comeback” performances in line for a few quarterbacks lying under the radar here in Week 3.

Unfortunately, I have no such quarterbacks on this here my secondary edition of my Week 3 quarterback picks.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons
Okay, so we have seen Brady to get off to bad starts in his first two games, and in the latter game against the Jets, he didn’t even finish well. Like I told so many of you when I ranked Brady below Brees, and a few others, at the beginning of the season, Brady will be Brady before the 2009 fantasy football season is over, but he’ll get off to a rough start. That’s not to say that his knee injury was the sole reason Brady struggled against the Jets, but it did play a part. That said, I like Brady’s chances against the Atlanta Falcons who tend to struggle with the passing game. The Falcons won’t dare come after Brady as often as the Jets did, and even if they tried to, I doubt they would be as successful. It basically comes down to the fact that there is no one on this Falcons team that matches up well with Randy Moss, thus the Falcons will have to pay him close attention. And if Wes Welker is back for this game, Brady’s safety net will be there to beat the numerous cover 2 looks that the Falcons are sure to show him. I like Brady to have near “Brady-like” performance in Week 3.

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, I got this guy’s Week 2 numbers wrong. Schaub went on to have an outstanding day against the Titans after I made him one of my duds of the week. I won’t make that mistake two weeks in a row. I’m projecting a big day for the Houston quarterback, who is facing a Jacksonville defense that just watched Kurt Warner dismantle them in the passing game. In Week 2, Warner completed an NFL record 92% of his passes, going 24 of 26 with 2 touchdown tosses. Schaub may not walk away from Week 3 with any league records, but he should walk away with a lot yards and touchdown passes. If Schaub can play anywhere close to the level he played at last week when he tossed 4 touchdown passes against the Titans, he should be able to put of stellar passing numbers against this busted Jacksonville secondary that has given up big games to quarterbacks 2 weeks in a row.

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
I saw it in preseason and it has unveiled itself here in the regular season. Joe Flacco is taking control of the Ravens offense and he is creating plays and opportunities that the Ravens haven’t had in years. In Week 3, he’ll face a Browns defense that lacks the talent to stop such playmaking. The Browns have no star players in their secondary, and outside of D’Qwell Jackson, their front isn’t all that good either. That should make this Week 3 matchup easy pickens for the Ravens offense and Flacco, who should be able to manipulate the defense using the playaction off of all of the successful runs the Ravens are sure to have against this defense. Watch out for Flacco, his rise to the top of the fantasy boards is only just beginning.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Quarterback Picks
2. Running Back Picks
3. Wide Receiver Picks
4. Tight End Picks
5. Defensive Picks

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 3 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections: Quarterbacks

The Sports Watchers — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:26:00 +0000

Well, if you can’t stop him, just keep picking him. Certainly Drew Brees did not disappoint his fantasy owners in Week 2, going for another 3 passing touchdowns, giving him 9 on the year in the first 2 games of the 2009 fantasy football season. As good as Brees was in Week 2, he wasn’t the best. Matt Schaub gave him a run for his money going for 4 passing touchdowns. And Philip Rivers only threw 2, but he also had 436 yards, by far the high of the day.

With performances like that, why even look at the other quarterbacks for next week? Why not just go with these guys? Well, if only fantasy football projections were that easy.

Here are our Week 3 fantasy football projections at the quarterback position:

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills
Not even the fans of Buffalo are going to be able to slow this guy down. The fact that he dismantled an Eagles defense that ranked #3 in the league last year is beyond amazing. He didn’t even have to try. In Week 3, don’t expect any changes from Brees and that Saints offense. The Buffalo Bills proved that they have issues guarding the middle of the field and Brees will exploit that. With Brees and wide receiver Marques Colston clearly on the same page now (2 touchdowns in Week 2), Brees now has a receiver that he can work off of in order to take advantage of the other players on the field. Last week you saw Reggie Bush get in the action, and Devery Henderson was a factor as well. With him spreading the ball around like that, the Bills don’t stand a chance. If Brees throws for anything less than 3 passing touchdowns in Week 3, I will be highly amazed.

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals defense has really showed me something over the past couple of weeks, but they haven’t shown me enough to get me off picking Peyton Manning to pick them apart. While the Cardinals may be playing some inspired ball, they still have a relatively vanilla defense, that at its core, is entirely to susceptible to the strengths of Peyton Manning. In Week 3, expect Manning to manipulate the defense with the playaction fake. The Cardinals have been very aggressive at stopping the run this year, and if they want to continue that in Week 3, they are going to have to commit to it. Try as they might to stop Manning from passing the ball, their commitment to the run will go unfettered, and Manning will use that against them, just as he did against the Dolphins last night. This could be a really big day for the guys in the slot, as the Cardinals will certainly take away Reggie Wayne early in the game. I expect Dallas Clark, and maybe even Hank Baskett, to be Manning’s main targets in Week 3. Quite frankly, this could be a very big fantasy football week for all of those guys, including Peyton Manning, who should have no problem dealing with this Cardinals defense.

Eli Manning, New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes, I’m going with Peyton’s brother, and this may be the last time I do it during the 2009 fantasy football season. Eli looked great against the Cowboys last week, and it really surprised me. Maybe the Dallas Cowboys defense is worse than I think it is, but I did not see a whole lot of receivers running free and it is not as if there wasn’t any pressure on Manning; it was just a very impressive game by Eli, who does not have very impressive wide receivers to boot. Going up against a Tampa Bay defense that has looked young, at best, should be easy pickins’ for a veteran quarterback Manning. With Brandon Jacobs in tow, expect the running game of the Giants to lull the Bucs Cover 2 defense into playing the run. That should lead to some holes over the middle for Manning to take advantage of. Not to mention, the Bucs have had numerous missed assignments in the secondary over the past 2 weeks of football, so expect a couple of freebies in Week 3 as well. Much like Drew Brees, if Eli Manning doesn’t throw for at least 3 touchdowns this week, something would have had to have gone terribly wrong.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Rams
Well, Rodgers hasn’t exactly blown anyone away in the 2009 fantasy football season. Yes, he had a decent performance in Week 2, going 21 for 39, 296 passing yards and a touchdown. But it’s that single touchdown, and just the one he had in Week 1, that are troubling his fantasy owners. Last year, Rodgers was a statistical compiler, accumulating passing yards and touchdown passes as if they were collector’s items. Well, expect him to get back on track in Week 3, as the Packers travel to St. Louis to play the shoddiest team on turf. Don’t be fooled by the Rams defensive performance against the Washington Redskins last week; the Skins’ 9-point effort only demonstrates how bad Washington’s offense is. Rodgers and the Packers should have no problem taking advantage of the Rams secondary. With Jennings and Driver going up against far inferior corners, the Packers passing game will look as good as it ever did in 2008. One can only hope that the game does not get too ugly so that Rodgers isn’t dealt the fantasy football death-card and has to hand the ball off for the majority of the second half.

Those are our top picks for Week 3 of the 2009 fantasy football season. Here are some of our other Week 3 projections and predictions:

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections – Secondary Picks
1. Quarterback Picks
2. Running Back Picks
3. Wide Receiver Picks
4. Tight End Picks
5. Defensive Picks

Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 3 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

My Fantasy Football League: Gold Dinner III, Week 2

The Sports Watchers — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:22:00 +0000

So the Gold Dinner is up and running; Gold Dinner III we’re calling it.

I did not win my Week 1 matchup. A lot of players didn’t show up for me in Week 1, but hopefully that will change here in Week 2 of fantasy football.

Starting with last week, I just had a rough outing. The quarterback play of David Garrard did me in. He only came up with 5 fantasy points.

Then my boy Steven Jackson didn’t quite get it done either in a shutout against the Seattle Seahawks.

And the biggest killer of them all was the performance, or lack thereof, by the Houston Texans, which cost Steve Slaton a bad week and left me with virtually no points from my QB and top 2 running backs. I ended up losing 141-89.

So, to rectify the situation, I made a trade.

I have a stable of running backs. I left the draft with Jackson, Slaton, Pierre Thomas, Darren McFadden, Cedric Benson and Mike Bell. I offered some trades to upgrade at quarterback, but my best offer came from someone in need of a tight end and RB, so I traded Shockey (because I already have John Carlson) and Mike Bell (because I personally don’t think he’ll get the touches that TMR thinks he will).

Who did I get in return?

LJ!

Larry Johnson that is!

I’m not sure he’ll ever be the guy he once was, but if he can come close, he shortens my running back bench and will give a more consistent option. Just think, if he can become a top 15 running back during this 2009 fantasy football season, I could line up Jackson, Slaton and Johnson every week and just roll through my fantasy football playoffs. Not to mention, I still have DMac, Benson and Pierre Thomas on my bench, so I think I’m sitting comfortable.

Now trading away Mike Bell could come back to haunt me, especially since I have Thomas, his Saints backfield mate. But that’s a gamble I’m willing to take. Even if Bell ends up splitting time with Thomas, he wouldn’t crack the rotation of the 4 RBs I already have that are the feature backs for their teams.

Anyway, wish me luck. I should do a lot better here in Week 2, so long as I one of the guys who failed me last week can come through. Here is my starting line up for Week 2 of the fantasy football season:

QB: Carson Palmer
RB: Steven Jackson
RB: Larry Johnson
RB/WR: Darren McFadden
WR: Marques Colston
WR: Antwaan Randle El
TE: John Carlson
D: Seahawks
K: Matt Prater

Bench:
Steve Slaton (he’s up against Baltimore)
Pierre Thomas
Vincent Jackson
Cedric Benson
Hines Ward
Derrick Mason
Trent Edwards

Tell me what you think, because I am as confused as anyone about who to play this week with all of this “apparent” depth on my fantasy football team.

You can email me at: fantasyfootball[at]thesportswatchers.com with your opinions, or just comment below!

Week 2 Projections – Top Picks
1. Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Quarterbacks
2. Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Running Backs
3. Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Wide Receivers
4. Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Tight Ends
5. Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Defenses

Fantasy Football Buy or Sell: Week 2
1. Quarterbacks, “Buy Matt Schaub”
2. Running Backs, “Sell your Cadillac”
3. Wide Receivers, “Buy yourself a Mason”
4. Tight Ends, “Sell that Mr. Watson!”

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections – More Picks
1. Week 2 Extra Quarterback Picks
2. Week 2 Extra Running Back Picks
3. Week 2 Extra Wide Receiver Picks
4. Week 2 Extra Tight End Picks

Week 2 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 2 Fantasy Duds
1. Quarterback Duds
2. Running Back Duds
3. Wide Receiver Duds
4. Tight End Duds
5. Defensive Duds

Fantasy Football Week 2 Sleeper Picks: Quarterbacks

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:55:00 +0000

Outside of Matt Hasselbeck, a lot of those sleeper picks didn’t pan out in Week 1.

However, Week 2 presents us with a few interesting options, including a guy who no one but me would consider a sleeper pick.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles
Why do I consider Brees a sleeper pick? Because he’s playing the Eagles, a team that just made Jake Delhomme look like a practice dummy! I understand that Brees is no Delhomme, but that Eagles pressure is serious, and if Brees were to throw for amazing numbers against this defense, I would be utterly surprised. All things being equal, Brees might throw 1 or two touchdown passes against the Eagles, but the 4, 5, 6-touchdown performances are out of the question for Brees in Week 2. The Eagles have 2 Pro Bowl caliber cornerbacks, and their front-four can get after the quarterback without the blitz. Still, I like Brees to some degree, only because of the likelihood of Donovan McNabb missing this game. The absence of McNabb will result in far fewer plays for the Eagles and thus longer, rhythmic drives for Brees and the Saints. So consider Brees a sleeper pick this week, especially if he goes for bonker numbers against the NFC’s best defense a year ago. If you were lucky enough to draft another top 10 quarterback with a favorable matchup in Week 2, you might want to try him out, because while Brees may have a decent day against the Eagles, it should be far from his best.

Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins vs. Indianapolis Colts
Chad Pennington is not only underrated in real life, but he’s underrated in fantasy football too! Pennington was the 9th most productive quarterback in fantasy football last year, and he was especially good at home, where the Dolphins will take on the Colts on Monday Night Football. The Colts run Dungy’s infamous Tampa 2 defense, and that fits right into the hands of a Pennington, who already likes to dink and dunk the ball down the field. The only chance the Colts have of forcing Pennington to throw the ball down the field is to completely shut down the running game, but that’s highly unlikely given that Colts safety Bob Sanders is out for several more weeks. Thus, I like Pennington in Week 2, working against the Cover 2 defense should allow him to pick the Colts a part and force them out of their comfort zone. Once that happens, then all hell might break lose, because in 2009, Pennington does have some downfield weapons that could change him from a Top 10 fantasy football quarterback to a top 5 or 6 fantasy quarterback in 2009.

Week 2 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections – More Picks
1. Week 2 Extra Quarterback Picks
2. Week 2 Extra Running Back Picks
3. Week 2 Extra Wide Receiver Picks
4. Week 2 Extra Tight End Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: More Quarterback Picks

The Sports Watchers — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:54:00 +0000

In Week 2 of the fantasy football season, we have a lot of interesting quarterback matchups, some that even knock of the league’s best off the board.

You won’t see Drew Brees among my top picks, because he’s going to Philadelphia. You won’t see Matt Schaub or Jay Cutler among my top picks until they prove that they came to play this season. And you certainly won’t see Tony Romo, who in Week 2, is going up against the ferocious defensive line of the New York Giants.

Here are my Week 2 fantasy football projections and predictions:

Tom Brady, New England Patriots at New York Jets
Tom Brady looked okay in his first game back. His 2 touchdown passes were nice, but for everyone who said he was the clear choice over Drew Brees, perhaps you’re ready to slow your roll now? Brady had to get the ball up in the air 53 times! That’s 19 more attempts than Drew Brees had on Sunday, and Brady still scored 15 fewer fantasy football points (ESPN Standard Scoring). Against the Jets, Brady should have a pretty good day. Yes, he’s on the road, and yes he’s going up against a Rex Ryan defense that confused him back in 2007 when they almost lost to the Ravens. But the key word is almost. Brady still ended that game with respectable numbers, and thus I see no reason why he can’t have an even better day against this scheme since the Jets have less talented players than the ’07 Ravens squad. So just in case you were thinking about benching Brady against the Jets, I’ll give you the okay to start him—not that you needed it or anything.

Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
Well, those of us who were high on Matt Hasselbeck (see preseason predictions) came out looking kind of good in Week 1. In Week 2, Hasselbeck takes on a 49ers team that defended the pass quite well last week. However, the 49ers shouldn’t be able to get Hasselbeck with the same ease in which they got pressure on Kurt Warner. Expect Hasselbeck to get decent time in the pocket and make the same short plays he made last week. With weapons like John Carlson, Nate Burleson and T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Hasselbeck is too experienced not to come through in Week 2 of fantasy football.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers pass defense actually wasn’t that bad against the Eagles last week, so perhaps Matt Ryan won’t have it that easy. But he still should be able to manipulate the Panthers Cover 2 defense through the use of tight end Tony Gonzalez and the short passing game. One thing is for sure, the Panthers will have to respect the run, after getting gashed by the Eagles last week. Only this time, the running back they’re facing is more dangerous, with Michael Turner bring his power running game to the table. The Panthers will have to put 8 men in the box throughout this game, and as the Falcons proved in Week 1, they are definitely willing to let Matt Ryan take the game over and be a play-maker, and that’s exactly what he’ll be in Week 2. I expect at least 2 touchdowns from Ryan, and no matter how many passes he throws, I guarantee a good portion of them will be big gains down the middle of the Panthers Cover 2 zone.

Those are my fantasy football picks for Week 2. Here are some of our other fantasy football projections:

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections – More Picks
1. Week 2 Extra Quarterback Picks
2. Week 2 Extra Running Back Picks
3. Week 2 Extra Wide Receiver Picks
4. Week 2 Extra Tight End Picks

Week 2 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Running Backs

The Sports Watchers — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:35:00 +0000

There weren’t too many explosive performances by running backs in the opening week of the fantasy football season. In fact, only 2 running backs had 2 or more touchdowns on Sunday, and there was just 5 100-yard games by end of the day Sunday. Hopefully, we can see a little bit more from the running back position in Fantasy Football Week 2.

Recapping last week’s fantasy football projections, we did had a very good Week 1 here at TheSportsWatchers.com. We had Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Frank Gore listed among our top picks for the week, and each of them had spectacular days. Frank Gore was our lone really bad pick, racking up just 30 yards on the ground, however, Steven Jackson and Brandon Jacobs didn’t exactly deliever either. We were 0 for 2 with our sleeper picks, with both DeAngelo Williams and Willie Parker having subpar days. Yes, I contradicted myself on Adrian Peterson, who ended up having a great day, but you can’t blame me for Tim Hightower, who inexplicably looked like Jerry Rice out of the backfield catching 12 passes for 121 yards receiving.

But enough about last week! it’s time for our Week 2 fantasy football projections at the running back position:

Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Don’t ask me why, but I do believe this is just one of those weeks where Brandon Jacobs has a monster game. First of all, Jacobs is up against a Cowboys offense that gave up a big game to Carnell Williams, who has had more surgeries on his knees than just about any other running back in the NFL. Secondly, the Giants are coming off a pretty good game on the ground against a pretty good Washington Redskins defensive line. And lastly, Jacobs is exactly the kind of running back that can give the Cowboys defense problems. The Cowboys linebackers are so big, that they often beat up on little backs, but a big guy like Jacobs, who can match the size of the Cowboys linebackers and can outrun them, could spell trouble for the Cowboys. I’m projecting at least a hundred yards a couple of goal-line touchdowns for this factor back in Week 2.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
How does the NFL reward Adrian Peterson for his 180-yards and 3 touchdowns in the opening week of the fantasy football season? They give him the Detroit Lions in Week 2. As if the Lions didn’t take a bad enough beating through the air in Week 1, now they’re going to beat down via the ground game of the Vikings and Adrian “All Day” Peterson. If Peterson can go for 180 yards against the sizeable defense of the Cleveland Browns, than I see no reason why he can’t for 200 against a Lions defense that has no one of significance on their front line. Thus, I like Peterson to have a monster day rushing the ball, with numbers that you should only read about on video game.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Arizona Cardinals
MJD got off to a good start in his first game as the feature back for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now comes the real test, which is whether or not his smallish frame can hold up from week to week in the NFL. I don’t know if he can, but I will be that he’s not that tired yet in Week 2, and with the Arizona Cardinals coming to town, there’s a good chance he’ll be able to reproduce the 123 yards from scrimmage he had in Week 1. I’m aware of the fact that the Cardinals held the 49ers Frank Gore to just 30 yards, but that was against an offense with no outside threat whatsoever. Jones-Drew, on the other hand, has the help of both Tory Holt and Troy Williamson, and his quarterback has been known to get on the edges and make some plays with his feet. So the Cardinals will have to do more than just stop MJD, which is all the more reason to believe in his prospects for this game. Expect an easy 100-yard game from Jones-Drew in Week 2 of the fantasy football season.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
DeAngelo Williams reached the end zone in Week 1, but he didn’t do much else. Against last year’s dominant run-stopping defense of the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams was relegated to just 14 carries for 37 yards in a blow out game, but he did get another 44 yards catching the ball. Quarterback Jake Delhomme threw 4 interceptions, so there’s a good chance he doesn’t start in Week 2, but I still don’t think that will matter much this week. The Falcons run defense has been very questionable, and even though they did a decent job stopping the Miami rushing game, they still gave up 4.4 yards per carry, which the Panthers would be more than happy with. Don’t be scared of Jonathan Stewart’s 11 carries either. Williams got the Panthers lone red zone touchdown, and he appears to be their guy on 3rd downs, so he’ll have his chance to get his touches. From now on, it’s just a matter of what Williams decides to do with them, and he should do big things against the Falcons defense in Week 2.

There you have it! Those are our top picks and projections for Week 2 of the fantasy football season, here are some of other projections at different positions:

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections – More Picks
1. Week 2 Extra Quarterback Picks
2. Week 2 Extra Running Back Picks
3. Week 2 Extra Wide Receiver Picks
4. Week 2 Extra Tight End Picks

Week 2 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections: Quarterbacks

The Sports Watchers — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:23:00 +0000

Wow! What a great week of football Week 1 was! We saw plenty of things that no fantasy expert would have expected, except for me.

Outside of Tony Romo’s career-effort against a defenseless Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad and Ben Roethlisberger’s 363-yard day, our Week 1 fantasy football projections were pretty good. We had Drew Brees down for the obligatory historical day (6 touchdowns against Detroit), we had Peyton Manning doing his thing, and we even had Joe Flacco stepping up and finally showing off the arm against the Chiefs.

But enough last week, it’s time for fantasy football projections for Week 2 of the fantasy season!

Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins
In Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Peyton Manning only had 1 passing touchdown. That’s a good sign for Jags fans, but the Miami Dolphins shouldn’t get too excited, as their defense this past week didn’t look too good, giving up a 98.0 quarterback rating to Matt Ryan. In Week 2, Manning will certainly take advantage of the same things Ryan did against the Dolphins. The Dolphins struggled guarding the flat while trying to protect themselves against the deep pass. So expect Manning to chip away at the Dolphins with the short-pass until they are finally forced to come up and do something about it. That of course is when Manning will hit Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark for deep and intermediate passes, giving the Colts a probable win and Peyton Manning a big Week 2 outing for your fantasy football team.

Aaron Roders, Green Bay Packers vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Well, the Bengals looked pretty good defensively against the Denver Broncos last week. Of course, we don’t know if that had more to do with how good the Bengals defense is or how bad the Broncos offense is. That said, it won’t matter this week. While Aaron Rodgers had a slow start to the fantasy football season, expect him to enter Week 2 with a big chip on his shoulder after leading his team to victory in the final minutes of last week’s game against the Bears. Rodgers should be able to get the deep ball working against the Bengals, who weren’t tested deep last week because the Broncos quarterback had a bum finger. Rodgers has no such injury, and the Bengals corners are essentially in for their first week of real work against the deep ball. I say Rodgers gets the better of them and has at least 300 yards passing in Week 2 of fantasy football.

Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers
Carson Palmer looked bad last week—really bad! But I am giving him one more chance before I throw him in the dog house for the rest of the 2009 fantasy football season. After Green Bay’s game against the Bears and Jay Cutler last week, we know that the Packers can be exposed. Yes, they had 4 interceptions, 2 or 3 of those should have been receptions if the Bears ran their routes, and the receivers were responsible for 2 other passes that should have been touchdowns against that Packers secondary. With Chad Ochocinco seemingly back in form, I don’t expect the same type of mistakes from the Bengals wide receivers. So as long as they are completing their routes, expect Palmer to exploit the Packers aggressive nature with several long throws, especially when Nick Collins is playing the middle-third of the field.

Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
Yes, that’s right! I’m talking about the same Brett Favre that had just 21 passes in Week 1 of the fantasy football season. Despite his less-than stellar performance, you have to give credit where credit is due, and Favre had a tremendously effective game in the opening week. In Week 2 of the fantasy football season, Favre should be even more efficient against a Detroit Lions defense that is fresh off an a**-whooping from Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. No, the Vikings won’t pass the ball 40 times against the Lions—no matter how tempted they are—but they will take a couple of shots deep, as opposed to when Favre threw 0 long balls in Week 1. Expect another efficient day from Favre in Week 2, with 2 or 3 really big plays that should add up to a big stat line for the Vikings quarterback.

There you have it! Those are our top picks and projections for Week 2 of the fantasy football season, here are some of other projections for Week 2.

Week 2 Fantasy Football Projections – More Picks
1. Week 2 Extra Quarterback Picks
2. Week 2 Extra Running Back Picks
3. Week 2 Extra Wide Receiver Picks
4. Week 2 Extra Tight End Picks

Week 2 Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight End Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings
1. Quarterback Rankings
2. Running Back Rankings
3. Wide Receiver Rankings
4. Tight End Rankings
5. Defensive Rankings

Week 2 Fantasy Duds
1. Quarterback Duds
2. Running Back Duds
3. Wide Receiver Duds
4. Tight End Duds
5. Defensive Duds

Fantasy Football Week 1 Projections: ESPN Fantasy Rankings

The Sports Watchers — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:43:00 +0000

So the Fantasy Football experts at ESPN have laid out their rankings for Week 1 of the fantasy football season. Certainly there are a lot of similarities between their Week 1 projections and mine, but there are some slight differences.

I’ll lay out their rankings and give you my analysis of them, and of course you can see my top picks, every week, right here at TheSportsWatchers.com.

ESPN’s Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football Week 1:

1. Drew Brees – Drew Brees is facing the Detroit Lions, so this ranking makes perfect sense. That’s why I have Brees over Brady in my quarterback “Face Off” of the week.

2. Tom Brady – Brady faces a Buffalo defense that the Patriots have been 11 times in a row. It suffices to say, he’ll have a pretty good outing passing the ball against this Bills team that couldn’t beat Matt Cassel last year.

3. Peyton Manning – Manning will be up against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who’s defense took a step back last year, and because of that, I too think he will have a very effective day passing the ball. However, ESPN had some dissension here, with one analyst ranking Manning the 6th best fantasy quarterback on the Week 1 schedule.

4. Aaron Rodgers – Statistically, Rodgers had a great season in 2008, and really, that’s all that matters in fantasy football. He’s up against the Chicago Bears defense in Week 1, fortunately for him, this defense is far from what it used to be. Although I don’t have Rodgers quite this high in my projections, he should have a decent day.

5. Kurt Warner – I definitely think that Warner’s matchup with the 49ers garners a higher ranking that Rodgers against Chicago, but most of the ESPN brass disagrees with me on this notion. I guess they didn’t see the 70% completion percentage, nearly 600 yards and 4 touchdowns Warner had against the 49ers in 2 games last season.

Rounding out ESPN’s Top 10 projected quarterbacks:

6. Philip Rivers vs. Oakland Raiders
7. Matt Schaub vs. New York Jets
8. Donovan McNabb vs. Carolina Panthers
9. Matt Ryan vs. Miami Dolphins
10. Tony Romo vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I like Rivers, Schaub and McNabb in the top 10 for this week, but Ryan might have a tough day if the Miami stops the Falcons ground game, and I just don’t see Romo playing too well in his first game without Terrell Owens. Hasselbeck and Carson Palmer would have better options for inclusion in the Top 10.

Fantasy Football Week 1 Projections: New England Patriots

The Sports Watchers — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:24:00 +0000

The New England Patriots enter the season as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl. But in Week 1 of fantasy football, all we care about is what their players are going to produce on the field, two years after being the most prolific offense in the history of football.

In Week 1 of the fantasy football season, the New England Patriots will go head to head with the Buffalo Bills. While the Bills certainly have high expectations for the 2009 season, one can only hope that their mediocre defense (14th in 2008) won’t completely fold in their opening game of the season.

Tom Brady, Quarterback
There’s no debating, Tom Brady will have a dynamite game in Week 1. Entering the 2008 season, he was a top 5 pick in just about every fantasy football league other there. He had been that dominant, and fantasy players were hoping that he could do it again last year. However, an injury kept him out until this Monday, when he will face a Bills pass defense that finished 13th in the league. Brady should have no problem manipulating the young safeties of the Bills team, and certainly they have no match for Randy Moss at wide receiver. With Brady and the entire Patriots organization looking to get their franchise quarterback off to a solid start, anything short of 300 yards passing and 3 touchdowns would really surprise me.

Laurence Maroney
With the signing of Fred Taylor many people have already pushed Maroney to the back of the fantasy football line. In fact, Maroney is only owned in 25.8% of leagues, while Fred Taylor is owned in 91.8% of leagues. How anyone can explain this is beyond me. Maroney is the younger, faster, more senior (in this offense) running back, and the entire fantasy world is spitting in his face after a couple of injury-riddled years. But in Week 1 of the fantasy football season, Maroney is the better fantasy play against the Bills. Maroney has looked fresh and preseason and he is the better receiver. So from that, I’d take it that Coach Belichik will give Maroney more plays than Taylor and just hope he’s in the game when the Pats are in the red zone.

Randy Moss, Wide Receiver
Of course, Randy Moss might score more touchdowns this game than all of the New England running backs combined. Moss and Brady are just itching to hook up in a regular season game again, and we definitely saw their ability to do that in their 3rd preseason game against the Washington Redskins. And if Moss’s love for Brady isn’t enough reason for you to buy into his Week 1 projections, then how about the fact that Moss be going “head-to-head” with Terrell Owens on Monday Night Football!

Wes Welker, Wide Receiver
If you’re in a points-per-catch league, there is no better player to have than Wes Welker. The man has caught more passes than anyone else in football over the past 2 seasons, making him one of the most consistent wide receivers in all of fantasy football. In Week 1 of the fantasy season, you can expect the Bills defense to stay in a two-shell all game in order to protect themselves against the deep ball to Randy Moss. This will inevitably open up the middle of the field for Wes to catch anywhere between 12 and 15 passes, which makes him a very viable fantasy football option this week. And if you’re worried about Welker’s ability to score touchdowns, just remember, even though Welker had 3 touchdowns last year, he had 8 when Tom Brady was the quarterback in 2007.

Week 1 Fantasy Football: Buy or Sell
1. Quarterbacks: Garrard and Favre
2. Running backs: Williams and Parker
3. Wide Receivers: Branch and Marshall
4. Tight Ends: Carlson and Cooley

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Extra Picks
1. Quarterback Fantasy Football Projections
2. Running Back Fantasy Football Projections
3. Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Projections
4. Tight End Fantasy Football Projections

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight Ends Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Fantasy Football Week 1 Duds: Defense – New York Jets

The Sports Watchers — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:35:00 +0000

The New York Jets are opening the season on the road against the Houston Texans. As a result, you should want nothing to do with this fantasy dud in Fantasy Football Week 1.

New York Jets Defense at Houston Texans
For one week, forget about what everyone is saying. Yes, I agree with most people who suggest that the New York Jets defense is going to be a force this year with Rex Ryan leading the way. However, the Jets defense will open the year on the road against last year’s 3rd best offense in the league, and I that’s not a recipe for success for this young football team.

As if the Jets don’t have enough issues in having to start a rookie quarterback on a team with no playmakers at the wide receiver position. Now the Jets have to face a high-powered offense that has the ability to throw and run the ball. And as talented as the Jets defense may be, they still are learning a new system and they have a lot of new parts that haven’t had a chance to gel together.

Even if the Jets defense was in mid-season form, the Houston Texans would still be a bad matchup for them. First, Andre Johnson should be the Jets worse nightmare. Yes, New York has two decent corners in Lito Sheppard and Darrelle Revis, but neither of them has the size or strength of Andre Johnson, which means leaving him in single coverage with either one of them isn’t an option.

Secondly, Bart Scott is a great linebacker, but neither he nor David Harris will deal well with Houston’s one cut rushing offense, which is led by running back Steve Slaton. Neither linebacker is known for running down tailbacks, a position a lot of linebackers find themselves in against Slaton and this offense.

Lastly, the Jets defense will probably be on the field a lot in Week 1 of the fantasy football season. With Mark Sanchez, a rookie, starting at quarterback, there’s a good chance the Texans defense will create a lot of three and outs. That means very little rest for the Jets defense, which will make them more likely to give up the big play late in the game. And believe me, the Texans will have no problem producing the big play, something Matt Schaub, Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson did on the regular basis last season.

Thus, I would stay away from the Jets defense in Week 1. For the rest of year, they should be a very viable option, but this week, they are a fantasy dud.

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Duds
1. Quarterback Duds
2. Running back Duds
3. Wide Receiver Duds
4. Tight End Duds
5. Defensive Duds

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight Ends Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Fantasy Football Week 1 – Buy or Sell
1. Quarterbacks: Buy Garrard, Sell Favre

Fantasy Football Week 1: Chris Henry, Wide Receiver

The Sports Watchers — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:25:00 +0000

It just came out that Chris Henry has “learned” from his mistakes and the subsequent NFL bans that had him out of the league for the better part of the last two seasons. While I’m all for growth as a person and rehabilitation of individuals, when it comes to wide receiver Chris Henry, I’m more interested in his fantasy football value than his growth as a person.

Sorry, if I don’t feel sorry for a guy who threw away multiple chances at a successful NFL career, only to get yet another chance that finally appears to be working out for him. With his legal troubles and all, Henry has been a pain in everybody’s you know what over the last 2 years. But now that he is finally back, and starting for the Cincinnati Bengals, and I’m hoping he can still deliver for my fantasy football team.

Chris Henry has looked promising during the preseason. He is second in the preseason with 217 yards receiving, and he’s averaging 16.7 yards per catch. He already has 4 touchdowns, and 4 plays of 20 yards or more. I’d say that’s pretty impressive.

But is he worth drafting?

Look, I wouldn’t go out of my way to draft Henry in any fantasy football league. However, if it’s late in the draft, time is waning, and you need a wide receiver to give you some depth at the position, Chris Henry is a good look.

But how do you go about employing him once he is on your team? That’s a conundrum I face with one of my fantasy football teams.

Personally, Henry can give you #3 wide receiver numbers. Thus, you better have 2 really good guys at your other 2 wide receiver spots, but as your 3rd guy, or with your slot position, Henry could be just what the doctor ordered for the 2009 fantasy football season.

Looking past his great preseason numbers, Henry has a lot going for him. First of all, Henry has accumulated a lot of those preseason yards from quarterbacks not named Carson Palmer. Once Carson comes back, one can only expect his numbers to go up with a good quarterback tossing him the rock.

Also, it looks as if Chad Ochocinco Johnson is in for a big year as well. He too ranks highly among the most productive wide receivers in the preseason, and if he is drawing attention and double teams, that’s going to open up the field for this Bengals offense and, most importantly, for Chris Henry.

And let us not forget just how good Henry was before he was being banned from the league. In 2006, Henry caught 36 balls for 605 yards and 9 touchdowns. As you probably know, Henry’s 6-4 frame made him a big time target in the red zone, and Carson Palmer had no problem throwing it his way. Not to mention, all of his production, came in just 13 games and as the 3rd receiver behind Ochocinco and T.J. Houshmandzedah. Extrapolate his numbers to a full season as the Bengals starting receiver, and all of a sudden, Henry has some real fantasy football potential.

So say what you will about this Chris Henry, and Lord knows I have, but he should be in for a pretty big season in 2009. As for Week 1 of the fantasy football season, I am thinking about making an addendum to my Week 1 sleeper picks posts, because Henry has the hapless Broncos defense coming to Cincinnati, and we all know that most of the focus will be on the Ochocinco-Champ Bailey matchup.

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Top Picks
1. Quarterback Projections
2. Running Back Projections
3. Wide Receiver Projections
4. Tight End Projections
5. Defensive Projections

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Sleeper Picks
1. Quarterback Sleeper Picks
2. Running Back Sleeper Picks
3. Wide Receiver Sleeper Picks
4. Tight Ends Sleeper Picks
5. Defensive Sleeper Picks

Week 1 Fantasy Football Projections – Duds
1. Quarterback Duds
2. Running back Duds
3. Wide Receiver Duds

Fantasy Football Week 1 – Buy or Sell
1. Quarterbacks: Buy Garrard, Sell Favre

More of Fantasy Football Week 1
1. Quarterback, Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
2. Running back, Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
3. Wide Receiver, Chris Henry, Cincinnati Bengals

My Fantasy Football Draft: Gold Dinner III

The Sports Watchers — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:31:00 +0000

Well, the decision has been made. I have decided to continue on with my Gold Dinner Fantasy Football league as the main topic of discussion in the “My Fantasy Football League” series here on TheSportsWatchers.com. I had my draft on Thursday, and I must say, it went pretty well.

I ended up with the 3rd overall pick, which quite frankly, I tried to trade out of as soon as I heard I had it. As some of you may have read, I have decided to pass up on Matt Forte. Of course, that decision came before last night’s Bears-Broncos game, in which Forte looked like he was destined for another big 2009 fantasy football season. However, I’m still skeptical on how he’ll fit into the passing offense, and I’m not a fan of the low yards per carry average, so he’s just not one of “my guys” for the year, but certainly, I won’t know him.

Anyway, after Adrian Peterson and Maurice Jones-Drew were taking off the board, I went with the guy I think is going to have a big season: Steven Jackson! Jackson just appears to be a running back who has nothing but upside this year. Just last year, in an injury-plagued season, he led the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage per game. Granted, he didn’t play in a lot of games, but he also got off to a horrible start, and yet was still as productive as anyone in the league, game for game.

So I liked that pick, even though I would have liked to have traded down and got him later, but it is what it is.

In order, Forte, Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Brees, LT, Fitzgerald and Frank Gore rounded out my league’s first round. Brees at pick #7 was too high in my opinion, but I like the idea that Turner fell to #5, just because it means my league has the perception of him that I do.

The second round was led off by the selection of Tom Brady, and with the 18th pick of the draft, I took Steve Slaton, who I couldn’t believe had fallen that far. If he hadn’t gotten that far, I would have drafted his wide receiver teammate, assuming he would have been available since he went just 2 spots before I picked up Slaton. If neither of them had been available, I might have gotten Calvin Johnson…maybe!

With my 3rd pick, I went running back again, by selecting Pierre Thomas. I guess I have to go ahead and write my piece on my draft strategy of “running back, running back, running back.” It doesn’t seem like the greatest strategy in the world, but you look at my roster at the end and tell me you don’t like it.

My 4th pick was yet another New Orleans Saints player, wide receiver Marques Colston. I hope that he is healthy, because when he is, he and Drew Brees can’t be stopped. Note: I wanted Philip Rivers here, but I just missed out on him.

For my 5th pick, I was probably going to go quarterback, but I just missed out on Kurt Warner, too, so I decided to go with my backup quarterback plan, which you’ll see later. As a result of passing on a QB, I got a 4th running back and drafted Darren McFadden.

I know what you’re saying: “You’re crazy!” Yes, I got my 4th running back before I even had a starting quarterback, but in my opinion, quarterbacks just aren’t that valuable. Besides there are a lot of undervalued guys out there—this year especially!

My 6th pick saw Vincent Jackson join the squad. Many of you were surprised to see Jackson make my top 10, and I was just as surprised to see him fall to the 8th round. Nonetheless, he’s my #2 wide receiver, with #1 potential, irregardless of what other experts may think.

My 7th pick was Cedric Benson. Yes, a 5th running back before I even had a quarterback. But in my defense, I didn’t want Benson, but was rushed into a pick after my internet connection dropped during my time slot. If I had the time to go through my options, I would have picked up quarterback Matt Schaub, who I am very high on this year, but I did’t have the time.

My 8th was David Garrard. And while many of you may think that was a bad pick, think again my friends! David Garrard was a Top 10 quarterback last year in fantasy football! This year the Jaguars upgraded at the wide receiver position, so he could be even better. Plus, the Jags have a 6-game stretch against some very poor defensive teams, in which Garrad could easily have 4 or 5 big games. So hate on Garrard if you want, but a Top 10 QB in the 8th round is nothing to sneeze at.

My last two picks of note were my 9th pick (WR, Hines Ward) and my 10th pick (QB, Carson Palmer). Carson Palmer is on my All-Sleeper Pick team, so you know I love that pick, and Hines Ward is the Steelers fantasy football equivalent of Wes Welker, so he’ll play when I’m not getting consistent production out of one my wide receivers or running backs.

And that’s how my Gold Dinner Fantasy football draft went. You can look at the full draft here, and you here is my entire team by draft’s end:

Starters:
QB: David Garrard
RB: Steven Jackson
RB: Steve Slaton
RB: Pierre Thomas
WR: Marques Colston
WR: Vincent Jackson
TE: John Carlson
DF: Dolphins
KK: Kris Brown

Bench:
Darren McFadden, RB
Cedric Benson, RB
Hines Ward, WR
Carson Palmer, QB
Derrick Mason, WR
Domenik Hixon, WR
Jeremy Shockey, TE