Football Odds and Ends
Posted by Vern, Jul 28 2010, 09:47 PM
Some quick updates...
The Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, will report to camp on time, even though many thought he may hold out in search of a new deal. Jackson has been one of the best wide receivers in football the last two seasons but will have a new quarterback in Kevin Kolb to get used to this off season.
Tennessee got some good news about their quarterback Vince Young after the league decided they will not be suspending the former Texas standout for an off field fight at a strip club. Young will be the starter entering the season but will be nothing more than a fantasy football backup. In 12 games, Young threw for 1,879 yards and ten touchdowns last season.
The Chargers, who it appears are in real need for some help from anyone who can catch the football, rewarded Antonio Gates for a solid 2009 with a contract extension through 2015. The deal includes over $20 million in incentives and will make Gates the highest paid tight end in football.
Sheets Done For Year, None Surprised
Posted by Vern, Jul 28 2010, 09:31 PM
How on earth could anyone have seen this coming? Oft injured pitcher Ben Sheets was lost for the year this week after tearing the flexor tendon of his right elbow. The A's, who had flirted with trading Sheets, paid the former Brewer $10 million dollars this season to go 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA and only 84 strikeouts.
While he has been better this month, going 1-2 but allowing only five runs in 20 innings with ten strikeouts, overall he has been a disappointment even for the fantasy owners that believed that his injury problems were behind him. Once a top line starter, Sheets is done for the year and maybe done all together.
Sidebar: How on earth could they be making a Billy Beane movie? Staring Brad Pitt? What have the A's ever won? What has Beane done other than trade away players and spend good money after bad? I would rather watch "Little Big League" any day of the week before I watch anything about Beane. Gimme a break.
No TO for Rams
Posted by Vern, Jul 26 2010, 01:50 PM
After meeting over the weekend and on Monday, the Rams front office team has decided not to offer him a contract
It makes sense when you look at the Rams team. They are a very young team built around Steven Jackson and unknown wide receivers. TO would have immediately been the number one wide receiver but his track record and future did not seem to fit in with St. Louis what so ever.
It would have been fun to watch, but it is not going to happen. Maybe he can go dancing with Ochocinco in Cincy now.
READ HERE
I Hope This Guys Is In My League
Posted by Vern, Jul 22 2010, 01:14 PM
While I don't think there would ever be a guy like this in the WCOFF, I would love to have a guy like this in my league. We all have a guy who always makes bad picks, but this takes it to another level.
http://tinyurl.com/3a7urfm
5 QB to Bench
Posted by Vern, Jul 21 2010, 02:17 PM
Great piece on Sporting News about QB's to bench. READ HERE
I don't think Fantasy fans would disagree.
I obviously think there are some guys who you could add to the list....Jay Cutler comes to mind. Tough thing with Cutler is the lack of a real solid backup, as is the case with most of the quarterbacks in the league.
Tough call on Matt Moore as he does not have a very long body of work and is real respected in the league.
Another to add to the list is Alex Smith in SF. When is enough actually enough?
Thoughts?
Johnson Contract Worries Look To Be Over
Posted by Vern, Jul 19 2010, 06:11 PM
Count me among the many fantasy fans who were concerned about Chris Johnson's contract situation in Tennessee. The Titans star running back, and potential first overall pick in the draft this year, had been very vocal about his displeasure for his contract situation and that he would not play for the $550,000 due this year.
It appears that he'll be getting a bit more.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Titans and Johnson have agreed to increase his salary this season while not extending the overall length of the deal.
So now that we know that Johnson has his new deal, let the debate begin. Depending on your league format, who is the best running back in fantasy football?
Is it Johnson, the breakout star from 2009? Is it Adrian Peterson, the superstar back on one of the best teams in football? Is it Ray Rice, a dual threat to go for 2,500 all-purpose yards? Is it Maurice Jones-Drew, the touchdown machine?
If I had the number one pick, regardless of last season, I still go with AP by a nose. The line is one of the best in football, Favre will be back (you know he will) and defenses will have to count on the pass, and he showed his ability to stay healthy last season. You can't go wrong either way, but if I am sitting at number one I go with Peterson.
T.O. Has No Home....Yet
Posted by Vern, Jul 19 2010, 02:12 AM
With training camp less than two weeks away for most teams, Terrell Owens seems to be more interested with reality television than finding a NFL team to play for.
T.O. said he wanted to play for New England. Not going to happen.
Then there was the Bengals. No Sir No Sir.
The Panthers? Nah
The Chargers seem to have a need right? They do, but not for T.O.
Owens' agent Drew Rosenhaus said this past week that as many as five teams were interested in his services, but yet not one team has confirmed their interest in the once marquee player. The most recent team that seemed to make sense was the San Diego Chargers, but their front office has flat out said they will not be signing Owens.
T.O. is one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game and almost certainly headed to the Hall of Fame. The problem is that he has an attitude that most teams do not want any part of. Last season in Buffalo was a bust as he racked up only five touchdowns and 829 yards receiving.
Owens is no longer an elite fantasy wideout and really only has value if he would find a home on a team where he could find the end zone a time or two - but as of today that is looking dim. Owens will probably find a team before the season, but his days of being a WR1 are a distant past.
What if Week One Goes Bad?
Posted by Vern, Jul 19 2010, 01:44 AM
Adrian Peterson is still one of the elite running backs in the world of fantasy football and righfully so. Along with Chris Johnson and Ray Rice, Peterson expects to be one of the top three players off the board in almost every draft in the country. Sure there will be the occasional change – those that love Maurice Jones-Drew over one of the other three running backs for his ability to get to the endzone or those that want a stud wide receiver to anchor their lineup like Andre Johnson.
However, Dustin Ashby and my friend and radio partner Jeff Gordon posed the question, what if Adrian Peterson has a bad opening game on Thursday night football.
Read Gordo's Blog Here
So the question is can you as a fantasy owner survive if AP has an average or below average week to start the season. Let's take a look back at 2009. Last season Peterson started like crazy, going for 180 yards and three touchdowns. However, he had four games this past season where he did not score a touchdown – one of the games rushing for 143 yards but only managing 85, 82 and a paultry 19 yards rushing in the other three games.
AP owners managed just fine even with three down weeks.
In 2009 Chris Johnson started the year with just 57 yards rushing and no touchdowns. In fact in the first six weeks of the season, he posted just two touchdowns and two 100+ yard rushing games and both of those touchdowns came in the same game. Did the slow start hurt fantasy owners?
I don't think so.
The fact remains that you as a fantasy owner can survive a week one blow up. Do we want to see it? Well of course not. We want to enjoy the WCOFF watch party and watch our horse heading to the endzone. Don't let the Thursday night game stats throw you off your game. If you feel Adrian Peterson is a solid pick at the top of the 2010 draft, then stick with him and hope for better things to come. The numbers will show that it will be worth it.
Devin Hester Has A New Friend
Posted by Vern, Jul 19 2010, 01:10 AM
One of the fun questions this off season has surrounded the Chicago Bears offense - who will step forward and be a fantasy stud under Mike Martz? It is a very good question, since in his pass happy offense, many wide receivers will get in on the action.
I for one was dismayed when I heard that Devin Hester's roll maybe reduced to that of a third down wide receiver. Well....maybe not.
It seems as though Hester has enlisted the services of one of Mad Mike's old toys - Isaac Bruce.
Hester has to be perfect when running his routes this season or he will go right to the dog house. Can Ike help?
READ HERE
Fantasy Football Insurance
Posted by Vern, Aug 28 2009, 11:21 AM
If you are an owner out there that has been hit by injuries year after year, than I may have a service for you. Thinking back to last year, it was almost painful watching all the Tom Brady owners grab Tom Brady in the WCOFF (many in the first round), and see their season go up in flames.
There is a company now offering Fantasy Football Insurance.
READ HERE
Is insurance worth the risk? I would think so if you have a ton of teams - but part of the fun is owning a team and taking the risk on players just like real NFL teams.
Thoughts?
on Who is Number Three at QB?