Preseason Recap - Week 2

Another week, another set of games that most people ignore. For the casual fan, it's understandable; there aren't too many fans of guys like Marcus Mason, Micah Rucker, and Justin Forsett out there. But for those of us who play fantasy football, the battles and injuries contine. Steelers vs Bills: 24-21 Bills Byron Leftwich didn't look too shabby for a guy who only had two days to learn as much of the offense as he could. Expect him to be the top backup for Big Ben. Rashard Mendenhall had a short TD run. If he keeps it up, he should be the short-yardage back. However, I still expect Willie Parker to score more than 2 touchdowns this year. Trent Edwards was spectacular going 9 of 11 for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. Any rumors of a QB competition between him J.P. Losman were quickly quieted. Robert Royal was on the receiving end of both of Edwards' touchdowns, but don't expect the Bills to use the TE that much this year. Royal remains undraftable in almost all leagues. Panthers vs Eagles: 24-13 Eagles Jonathan Stewart played his first game in the NFL, and although he wasn't very productive (3 carries for four yards) it's a good sign that he's out there. Not much else to report. DeSean Jackson continues to light up the box score, recording 7 receptions for 71 yards after a 5 catch performence against the Steelers in Week 1. He's quickly moving up the depth charts and has an excellent chance of being the slot receiver for Philly. Brian Westbrook played, assuring any contract woes are done and over with. Raiders vs Titans: 17-16 Titans JaMarcus Russell excelled, going 10 of 17 for 75 yards and a TD pass. He made good throws and kept plays alive including his lone TD pass. Darren McFadden had an explosive run to end the first half while Micheal Bush got 14 carries, something that's rare in preseason especially in a crowded Oakland backfield. Still, Bush only remains a sleeper in deeper leagues. Zach Miller was Russell's favorite target having 48 yards on 4 receptions and a touchdown. He's got a lot of upside, but isn't yet dependable. Javon Walker had a bad drop; I advise fantasy owners to stay away from him. He's aging, has knee trouble, committment issues, and has had a hard time getting seperation from cornerbacks. Unlike Russell, Vince Young continue to struggle completing only 4 of his 13 passes for 37 yards. Until he shows improvement, he isn't a viable piece to your team. Buyer beware. Chris Johnson continues to be explosive, having a 15 yard run. LenDale White and Chris Henry also had long runs.
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Rankings Update + Analysis and Explanation - Alex's Rankings = This Blog Post

I've been told I sleep too much. Maybe that's true, because this week I feel like I just came out of hibernation. I breathed in that fresh air that smells of the fast approaching autumn... and then walked back inside to turn on the tube and watch some football. Preseason! The NFL Regular Season's ugly stepsister! It's good for warming up players who are already in world class shape, showing franchises that, on the field, their rookie first round picks were redonkulously overapid, and helping teams decide between Shaun Hill and J. O'Sullivan. It's kind of pointless. It's kind of great. And it kind of gives me an excuse to continue to flip flop between Jerious Norwood and Chris Johnson and pass it off as updated, top notch, fantasy rankings and analysis. Alrighty! QB 1 Peyton Manning 2 Tom Brady 3 Tony Romo 4 Drew Brees 5 Carson Palmer 6 Ben Roethlisberger 7 Matt Hassleback 8 Donovan McNabb 9 Jay Cutler 10 Marc Bulger 11 Derek Anderson 12 David Garrard 13 Matt Schaub 14 Jason Campbell 15 Brett Favre 16 Jake Delhomme 17 Philip Rivers 18 Aaron Rodgers 19 Jon Kitna 20 Eli Manning 21 Matt Leinart 22 Tarvaris Jackson 23 JaMarcus Russell 24 Trent Edwards 25 Kurt Warner 26 Vince Young 27 Jeff Garcia 28 J. O'Sullivan 29 Kyle Orton 30 Sage Rosenfels 30 Matt Ryan 31 Troy Smith 32 Brodie Croyle 33 Kellen Clemens 34 Brady Quinn 35 Joe Flacco Tier 1: - Dropped Palmer from the top tier just because Chad Johnson proved this week that he still does not have any sanity in his being and a quarterback with an insane #1 wide receiver is not good - All four guys left in the tier have the ability to pass for 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns and are all justifiable third or even second round picks, but read: not first round Tier 2: - Some questions surround all three of these guys, so I'm not confident they can put up numbers that will carry your team, but all are solid starters Tier 3: - The last of the decent starting quarterbacks, pick and choose your two favorite and take 'em both in rounds 6-9 if you can, it's the Costco QB strategy, get quality and quantity at a cheaper price Tier 4: - You really don't want a backup quarterback that's not from this group unless you have Brady or Manning, the rest of the QB's are bunk Tiers 5 and 6: - I've seen different people find upside in some of these guys, the truth is that none of them are solid, a few of them don't suck and you can get by with them, but you don't want to look forward to drafting any of them RB 1 Ladainian Tomlinson 2 Brian Westbrook 3 Steven Jackson 4 Joseph Addai 5 Adrian Peterson 6 Clinton Portis 7 Frank Gore 8 Marshawn Lynch 9 Larry Johnson 10 Marion Barber 11 Willis McGahee 12 Ryan Grant 13 Jamal Lewis 14 Maurice Jones-Drew 15 Brandon Jacobs 16 Earnest Graham 17 Thomas Jones 18 Kevin Smith 19 Willie Parker 20 Jonathan Stewart 21 Lawrence Maroney 22 Edgerrin James 23 Ronnie Brown 24 Selvin Young 25 Reggie Bush 26 Matt Forte 27 Justin Fargas 28 LenDale White 29 Darren McFadden 30 Fred Taylor 31 Julius Jones 32 DeAngelo Williams 33 Rashard Mendenhall 34 Rudi Johnson 35 Jerious Norwood 36 Felix Jones 37 Duece McCalister 38 Ricky Williams 39 Chris Johnson 40 Chester Taylor 41 Maurice Morris 42 Ahmad Bradshaw 43 Chris Brown 44 Kenny Watson 45 Derrick Ward 46 Andre Hall 47 Sammy Morris 48 Ray Rice 49 Chris Perry 50 Ahman Green 51 Kolby Smith 52 Leon Washington 53 Brian Calhoun 54 Brandon Jackson 55 Jacob Hester 56 Jason Wright 57 Antonio Pittman 58 Kevin Faulk 59 Ladell Betts 60 Fred Jackson Tier 1: - Yes Adrian Peterson is at 5. I'm not going to use a top pick on an elite back that I don't trust to play a full season when I can use a top pick on an elite back who will actually play 16 games. Tier 2: - Moved Lynch up a few spots and set these three in their own tier just because there's some major questions and doubts about the top couple backs below them Tier 3: - If you're going to take a running back in the second round make sure it's someone in this group - Dropped McGahee a bit with the news that his injury is more troubling than originally expected and how Ray Rice is really impressing coaches in camp Tier 4: - Third round running backs - I like Kevin Smith more than a lot of people, most don't have him this high - Lawrence Maroney is not a third round draft pick, he's not in this tier Tier 5: - Some ok #2 running backs still in this group, but don't reach for any of them, some probably will drop even farther - Fargas is ahead of McFadden, the Oakland duo will be more along the lines of Duece/Bush this first year than Taylor/Peterson Tier 6: - The best of the complimentary, rbbc backs, take them as #3 guys Tier 7: - # 4 backs - As crazy as it is, Ricky Williams is a solid pick, Ronnie Brown is no different than any other back coming off an ACL injury, it'll take him more than a year to get back to 100% Tier 8: - Handcuffs, guys in timeshares, and late round fliers for the most part in this group WR's and TE's coming tomorrow This format was really retarded, It'll be different next week
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I'm Officialy An Expert. Eat it Knuckas. Round III

So I occasionally post my greatness on this site called Bleacher Report. They actually love me over there. It's a pleasant change. They even think I'm an expert. So they invited me to be in a fantasy football experts draft. For experts. Like me. First Round: 1. Ladainian Tomlinson (Jacob Sloan) 2. Brian Westbrook (Me) 3. Adrian Peterson (Sean Crowe) 4. Joseph Addai (Russel Ivanac) 5. Steven Jackson (Collin Hager) 6. Tom Brady (Andrew Kneeland) 7. Randy Moss (Brendan McGair) 8. Clinton Portis (Matt Something) 9. Marshawn Lynch (Isaac Elyacharshuster) 10. Frank Gore (John Ferriola) Second Round: 10. Marion Barber (John Ferriola) 9. Larry Johnson (Isaac Elyacharshuster) 8. Willis McGahee (Matt Something) 7. Ryan Grant (Brendan McGair) 6. Jamal Lewis (Andrew Kneeland) 5. Terrell Owens (Collin Hager) 4. Maurice Jones-Drew (Russel Ivanac) 3. Darren McFadden (Sean Crowe) 2. Peyton Manning (Me) 1. Reggie Wayne (Jacob Sloan) Third Round: 1. Braylon Edwards (Jacob Sloan) 2. Marques Colston (Me) 3. Tony Romo (Sean Crowe) 4. Andre Johnson (Russel Ivanac) 5. Brandon Jacobs (Collin Hager) 6. Larry Fitzgerald (Andrew Kneeland) 7. Lawrence Maroney (Brendan McGair) 8. Drew Brees (Matt Something) 9. T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Isaac Elyacharshuster) 10. Chad Johnson (John Ferriola) The Bad - That's what you get Brendan for drafting a wide receiver in the first round. A running back who barely had a third of his teams total rushing touchdowns and not even half of his teams total rushing yards. Lawrence Maroney, third round, as your number #2 running back? You just spent $40 on a 3 ounce steak. Bon apetit. - Tosten, Jacob, and Andrew. Tsk, tsk. Coming out of the first three rounds with only one running back? Enjoy Thomas Jones and Willie Parker. The Good - Brandon Jacobs at 25? Oh boy. SJax, TO, and BJac. Collin's gonna have more touchdowns than NASA.
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I'm Officially An Expert. Eat it Knuckas. Round II.

So I occasionally post my greatness on this site called Bleacher Report. They actually love me over there. It's a pleasant change. They even think I'm an expert. So they invited me to be in a fantasy football experts draft. For experts. Like me. Second Round: (First Round) 10. Marion Barber (John Ferriola) 9. Larry Johnson (Isaac Elyacharshuster) 8. Willis McGahee (Matt Something) 7. Ryan Grant (Brendan McGair) 6. Jamal Lewis (Andrew Kneeland) 5. Terrell Owens (Collin Hager) 4. Maurice Jones-Drew (Russel Ivanac) 3. Darren McFadden (Sean Crowe) 2. Peyton Manning (Me) 1. Reggie Wayne (Jacob Sloan) The Bad - Darren McFadden is not a second round draft pick. Darren McFadden is not even considered by his head coach as the "best runner" on the team. It's not like Minnesota. He won't be getting 25 carries a game by week 3. He's not going to bust up the record books by the end of his rookie year. He's not Adrian Peterson. He's a good version of Reggie Bush. If Sean Crowe really wanted to take a running back here he should have gone Brandon Jacobs, the only running back left worthy of a second round draft pick. - Maurice Jones Drew to Russel was a bit of a bad pick just because of who his first rounder was, Joseph Addai. Both Addai and MoJo are somewhat low yardage guys who depend on one, unreliable factor that makes up most of their value; for Addai it's touchdowns and for MJD it's big plays. Neither one of those things is predictable or dependable. Neither one of them puts up big yardage that you can count on. Russel will dominate some weeks but others he'll fall flat his face. The Good - Jamal Lewis was a solid middle of the second round pick. The guy was a top 6 running back last year but for some reason, people aren't buying it. The general consensus is that he was a fluke. Dude is only 28 right now. Over the last 7 weeks he averaged 4.6 ypc and 113 yards per game, with only one sub-90 rushing yard performance. He's still a stud. I'd take him early second round. Brady and Lewis is quite a nice pair to come out of the first two rounds with.
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Fantasy Writer Approval Ratings - Brandon Funston

Ahh yes. Brandon Funston. Mr. "Grandpa From The Munster Family" himself. He has hair, but just look at it. It makes little kids cry. No preschoolers will be running towards him anytime soon. He was at ESPN where he spent eight years as an online, TV, radio, and magazine fantasy personality before he came to another fantasy outlet that specializes in cheeseball analysis in Yahoo where he's now their top dog writer. Now I'm hoping that the majority of this blog's viewers are out of preschool, so hopefully this vote will be mostly unbiased. Faithful readership, approve or disapprove?
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Chris Chambers Is One of NFL.com's 2008 Fantasy Football Poster Boys

Apparently nfl.com thinks Chambers is a fantasy stud this year. They featured him in their promotional campaign. Yet another reason why where you're at right now is better for fantasy info than the big name sites. When we talk about top wideouts we think of guys that are actually at the top. Anyway, here's the viral video that you've probably seen by now which advertises the upcoming fantasy season. The only problem with it? You know it's fake. No, not because he caught a football using two other footballs as hands. He probably could do that anyway. The fatal flaw is that apparently Chris was training and doing this trick with two random black guys and some scrawny dude in the background. Ya, I'm sure those are his PT's or something. What's even worse, is that apparently that scrawny white guy previously mentioned threw a pinpoint pass from like 20, 25 yards out. There's only one Doug Flutie in the world nfl.com. Get real. Oh and for the record, as much as it pains me to say this as a Chargers fan, Chambers's promo wasn't the best of the lot. Check out Chris Cooley. Ya, that's an elite tight end right there.
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Week 1 - Preseason Recap

This may be the least important thing in all of football. Actually, I think it is the most irrelevant part of the game to the fans. But for those of us who play fantasy football, it has some meaning. Position battles and injuries help prepare you for a draft, or if you decided to draft early (a fantasy no-no by the way) it could stall your team before it ever gets off the ground. These games are from August the the third to the eigth. Hall of Fame Game: Colts vs Redskins: 30-16 Redskins The Colts don't have too many starting position battles on offense, because well, they're the Colts. However, there is a battle for the #3 RB job, mainly between rookie Mike Hart and Kenton Keith, and also for the #4 WR job between a slew of guys including: Roy Hall, Devin Aromashodu, and Courtney Roby. If Marvin Harrison can't shake the injury bug, whoever emerges as the #4 in this battle could have value in deeper leagues. Mike Hart ran well, tallying 4 carries for 53 yards. He also tacked on 3 receptions. Keith was less impressive, only 3 carries for 10 yards. Keep an eye on this battle. Hall had 4 receptions for 31 yards, the most impressive of the bunch (Aromashodu: 2-28, Roby 1-47) Joseph Addai injured his head on the first play, but it wasn't serious. He should be fine. After the draft, some thought that there could be a chance Devin Thomas or Malcolm Kelly could push for the #2 job. But both were hindered by injuries; any competition will have to wait. Colt Brennan had a good game, tossing two touchdown passes. While it seems unlikely at this point that he could overtake Todd Collins as the #2, Brennan is certainly doing all he can to make a case for it. Giants vs Lions: 13-10 Lions Brandon Jacobs appears to be the starter, but who will be the #2? No one really made a case for themselves though (Ward: 4-12, Bradshaw 3-4, Droughns 4-6) Sinorice Moss is trying to push for the #3 job, recording 2 receptions for 55 yards. Still, it seems unlikely that he'll unseat Steve Smith. David Carr and Anthony Wright are in a tight battle for the backup QB job; both played well. Kevin Smith started the game at RB for the Lions, and though he performed better than Tatum Bell (7-8), Smith wasn't exactly spectacular (8-22). Brian Calhoun wasn't much of a factor either (2-3). Like the Giants, there's also a battle for the backup QB gig between Drew Stanton and Dan Orlovsky. Orlovsky performed better, but Stanton has more upside. Stay tuned. Ravens vs Patriots: 16-15 Ravens No QB for the Ravens was impressive; the eventual starter is still unclear. Kyle Boller threw an INT while Troy Smith only completed 5 of his 12 passes. Rookie Joe Flacco lost a fumble. Rookie WR Marcus Smith is making some noise, looking good in camp and recording 2 catches for 21 yards. Mark Clayton did not play. Though it was not suffered during the game, but Willis McGahee and Ed Reed are battling injuries. McGahee, who had his knee scoped, is expected to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but this is a situation to monitor. Reed's status for Week 1 is unsure, Reed stating "We'll see." No one has emerged as the replacement for Donte Stallworth; as of now, it looks like it'll be Jabar Gaffney because of experience. LaMont Jordan had a good first game (19-76-1) as a Patriot and could challenge Sammy Morris as the backup. Tom Brady's backup is murky with Kevin O'Connell, Matt Cassel, and Matt Gutierrez all throwing an INT. Jets vs Browns: 24-20 Jets Could David Clowney be the next Greg Jennings? Possibly, as he had a 71 yard touchdown reception. And while the pass wasn't from Favre, it showed his (Clowney's) speed. Jerome Harrison has the edge on Jason Wright after the first game, Harrison's 8 carries for 31 yards as opposed to Wright's 7 for 17. This just in: Ken Dorsey is terrible. He threw 2 INT's. With the #3 WR job wide open, Travis Wilson and Paul Hubbard impressed, 3 for 58 and 2 for 49 respectively. Saints vs Cardinals: 24-10 Saints Robert Meachem showed why the Saints drafted him last season, hauling in 4 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown, including an amazing diving catch. Though current #2 WR David Patten had a touchdown too, his job is far from safe. Now for a pretty important battle you may actually care about. Matt Leinart had a strong showing, going 7 of 8 for 91 yards. Warner did not play. As it stands, Leinart is the clear cut starter. Though, keep in mind, in football, nothing is certain. Well, except for the fact the Raiders will never have a winning season again. Tim Hightower appears to be a good candidate to be the backup for Edge and potential goalline back as he had a TD run from inside the 5. Chiefs vs Bears: 24-20 Chiefs Brodie Croyle was decent (6-10-82) but still isn't much of an option for fantasy play. Larry Johnson, missing the final 8 games of last year, had a short touchdown run. Dwayne Bowe has locked up the #1 job, but the #2 is up for grabs. With Devard Darling putting up a goose egg, Will Franklin and Jeff Webb tried to make their presence known. Franklin had 2 grabs for 31 yards while Webb had 2 for 29. The starting QB job for the Bears is still close, though Grossman threw a TD pass. Expect this one not to be decided for another two weeks. Garret Wolfe showed some explosiveness, but Matt Forte (7-25) still remains the starter. Eagles vs Steelers: 16-10 Steelers Honestly, there aren't any notebale battles for the Steelers that would be important for fantasy. Big Ben was strong, leading the Steelers down the field for a touchdown in his only series. Willie Parker ran well, a great sign for a player coming off of a fractured fibula. Backup QB Charlie Batch broke his collarbone during the 2nd quarter. He is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. The Steelers signed Byron Leftwich, who will likely slide in as the #2 for the time being. There is still no clear backup for Brian Westbrook, who was not playing because of his contract. (luckilly, it was because he had just gotten his deal done. A happy Westbrook leads to a happy fantasy owner) DeSean Jackson played well (5-51) and could unseat Jason Avant. Seahawks vs Vikings: 34-17 Seahawks Maurice Morris started the game at RB for Seattle, rushing for 62 yards on 6 carries. Julius Jones was much less impressive, 4 carries for 15 yards. Bobby Engram is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist. That could be a failry big blow to Matt Hasselback; Engram was his security blanket. Nate Burleson's value goes up even higher, while guys like Courtney Taylor and Jordan Kent could seize the opportunity. Tavaris Jackson played well (for the record, that was the first time that has ever been said). Other than that, not much else to report. 49ers vs Raiders: 18-6 Raiders J.T. O'Sullivan is the starting QB....for now. This may be just because he knows the offense better than Alex Smith. If you remember, O'Sullivan was with Martz in Detriot. Shaun Hill appears out of the running to start. Keep an eye on Josh Morgan. He was impressive in training camp and stepped up in the absence of Bryant Johnson, Isaac Bruce, and Ashley Lelie, recording 4 catches for 68 yards. Morgan has wheels, something that is important in the Mike Martz offense. Whoever finished ahead of one another, Jason Hill or Morgan, is a sleeper in my book. Darren McFadden made his Raiders debut, rushing for 48 yards on 12 carries. He'll split time with Justin Fargas.
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I'm Officially An Expert. Eat It Knuckas,

So I occasionally post my greatness on this site called Bleacher Report. They actually love me over there. It's a pleasant change. They even think I'm an expert. So they invited me to be in a fantasy football experts draft. For experts. Like me. As of right now, the draft is a slow moving sloth that is taking place through email where people put in their picks whenever they get to it. So I'm going to have time after every round to make fun of everyone else. Not that I wouldn't make fun of them if it was going quickly, but now I have time to let you hear my rants here on FFWWH. No one will be spared. First Round: 1. Ladainian Tomlinson (Jacob Sloan) 2. Brian Westbrook (Me) 3. Adrian Peterson (Sean Crowe) 4. Joseph Addai (Russel Ivanac) 5. Steven Jackson (Collin Hager) 6. Tom Brady (Andrew Kneeland) 7. Randy Moss (Brendan McGair) 8. Clinton Portis (Matt Something) 9. Marshawn Lynch (Isaac Elyacharshuster) 10. Frank Gore (John Ferriola) The Bad - Dai Hard over SJax? A guy who barely had 1000 rushing yards and relies heavily on touchdowns over a guy who is one year removed from a 2300 total yard season and has the pieces from that season back from injury now? Do you also prefer Pepsi to Coke? - Randy Moss at 7? He's the number 1 wide receiver, but he's not going to break any records. Terrell Owens is a second rounder and won't put up that worse of numbers. Andre Johnson won't be far behind. Reggie Wayne could be right there also. You can't take Moss in the first round when Portis is on the board. I disagree with the Brady pick too, but I guess that can be justified somewhat. The Good - Portis at 8 is a steal. Like Danny Ocean status. Weapons around him that are good enough to ease some pressure but not good enough to take away a ton of opportunities in the offense, a guaranteed 300 carries, and 1500 total yards five out of his six NFL seasons make him arguably an elite back. Getting a consistent, great rb like him near the end of the first round also means you can grab a Larry Johnson type player on the turnaround and be in a safe enough situation where you can make the gamble on a high risk/enormous reward back without blinking an eye, and possibly end up with two elite backs. - Thank you Jacob Sloan for not giving in to the Adrian Peterson hype. He will be a disappointment of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull proportions. At the end of the day, you don't want to have used the number 1 overall pick on a guy who can't last a full season without getting injured. Don't draft Adrian Peterson in hopes that he turns into The Dark Knight because all you're going to get is Hancock.
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