The 2010 NFL season is just a week away. It’s time to put on your football thinking caps. What better way to get in the spirit than matching wits against fellow football fans, and yours truly. You have two chances to take me down.
First, there’s the LestersLegends Pick ‘em Challenge. Each week you pick the winners. We’ve stepped it up this year and added the Spread option. Come flex your skills and show everyone what you’re made of.
If Survival Pool is your thing, then see if you can outlast the field. Pick one winner a week to win. No repeats. See if you can survive the whole season like I did last year.
With each passing day the likelihood that Vincent Jackson will play a down for the Chargers this season worsens. Even with their new rookie RB Ryan Mathews figuring to provide more balance on offense, this is still Philip Rivers team, meaning they will be throwing the football early and often.
Antonio Gates will likely lead the Chargers in targets, but Floyd will be counted on to use his big frame (6’5″, 225 lbs) similar to the way Vincent Jackson did.
Floyd showed big play potential last year catching 45 passes for 776 yards (17.2 yards per catch). His career ypc is 16.5. He’ll have to improve on his one TD though. However, with Vincent Jackson (6’5″, 230) out of the mix, Floyd will be more likely to get them. Legedu Naanee (6/2″, 220) just doesn’t have the size Floyd does.
Assuming V-Jax doesn’t play for the Chargers Floyd could be a steal in fantasy drafts. His current Mock Draft Central ADP is 69th (25th WR). It’s a little bit of a risk going with a somewhat unknown commodity, but sometimes you need to take risks to win. In all likelihood you can get the number one WR on a pass-first team as a WR3. What’s not to like about that scenario?
What are your thoughts on Malcom Floyd? Would you want him as your WR3?
Image courtesy of Icon SMI .
Tonight I did an online draft with a group of guys that I have competed against in fantasy football, baseball, and basketball the past couple of years. It’s a 12-team draft (non-keeper, non-ppr) and I had the fifth pick. Last year I had a dreadful showing. I’m hoping this year is much better. Here’s my squad. .
QB1 Jay Cutler
QB2: Ben Roethlisberger
RB1: Maurice Jones-Drew
RB2: Jonathan Stewart
RB3: Jerome Harrison
RB4: Ricky Williams
WR1: Brandon Marshall
WR2: Greg Jennings
WR3: Dwayne Bowe
WR4: Braylon Edwards
TE1: Jason Witten
TE2: Zach Miller
K1: Robbie Gould
DEF1: Baltimore
DEF2: New York Giants
Michael Crabtree sits atop many people’s 2010 breakout candidate lists, and with good reason. Despite not yet playing in a preseason game due to a neck strain (though he has returned to practice) and playing in just 11 games in his rookie campaign due to a holdout, there is no doubting his talent.
Last season he had 48 receptions for 625 yards and 2 TD, only twice having as few as three receptions (and never having more then six). He was consistent, and that came despite questionable quarterback play and no preseason to get a rapport with his teammates.
While he has missed time during camp this year, he already has worked with Alex Smith. The two know each other and now just need to get their timing back on track. It doesn’t take four preseason games to do that.
The team has also improved the talent on the offensive side of the ball. Added are Ted Ginn, Jr. and Brian Westbrook, not to mention Vernon Davis’ 2009 breakout. Throw in a healthy Frank Gore, and the 49ers actually produce matchup issues for opposing defenses.
We’ve discussed Smith as a potential sleeper in the past (click here to view), and the former first overall pick is finally showing signs of living up to his draft position. In three preseason games he has gone 21-37, completing nearly 57% of his passes. All he needs to do is distribute the ball around the field and put his teammates in position to make plays.
At 6′1″, 214 lbs., Crabtree is a big target with the potential to make big plays. No receiver had more then 22 catches of 20+ yards last season. Despite his limited playing time and receptions, he had 10, the same number as Anquan Boldin. Just imagine what he has the potential to do now that he is fully immersed in the offense?
The sky is truly the limit, and as a WR2, he is a great get. He currently has an ADP of 43.3 according to Mock Draft Central, the fourteenth receiver coming off the board. While that’s slightly higher then I have him (16th on the most recent rankings, which you can view by clicking here), he is still a terrific pick. By year’s end, he has the opportunity to emerge as a WR1 in all formats.
What are your thoughts on Crabtree? Do you think he’ll live up to the hype? Or do you expect him to be a fantasy bust?
Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s 2010 rankings:
We all spend countless hours researching and analyzing every aspect of the draft. Once the season starts it’s all about the start sit, trades and waiver wire pickups. Don’t waste your time! Let the FantasyKnuckleheads.com staff go to work for you, they have three years of success under their belt and have had huge success in those three years providing people like you with draft and in season applications, advice and services. Check out what they offer:
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Here’s an updated look at my top 30 fantasy QB rankings.
1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Drew Brees 3. Peyton Manning 4. Tom Brady 5. Tony Romo 6. Matt Schaub 7. Philip Rivers 8. Brett Favre 9. Jay Cutler 10. Kevin Kolb 11. Joe Flacco 12. Eli Manning 13. Donovan McNabb 14. Carson Palmer 15. Matt Ryan 16. Ben Roethlisberger 17. Alex Smith 18. Matthew Stafford 19. Chad Henne 20. Vince Young 21. David Garrard 22. Mark Sanchez 23. Kyle Orton 24. Matt Cassel 25. Matt Moore 26. Derek Anderson 27. Jason Campbell 28. Josh Freeman 29. Sam Bradford 30. Matt Hasselbeck
Notable changes: – I moved Donovan McNabb out of fantasy starter territory to #13. He’s already injured, and could have a hard time staying on his feet with that offensive line. – I took Matt Leinart off the list and added Derek Anderson. I think DA is more suited to get the ball deep to Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. I think Leinart needs a change of scenery. – I moved Jason Campbell down because of his thumb injury.
Here’s an updated look at my top 25 team defense rankings.
1. San Francisco 49ers 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Green Bay Packers 4. Minnesota Vikings 5. New York Jets 6. Baltimore Ravens 7. Dallas Cowboys 8. Philadelphia Eagles 9. New York Giants 10. Chicago Bears 11. Cincinnati Bengals 12. New Orleans Saints 13. New England Patriots 14. Houston Texans 15. Denver Broncos 16. Miami Dolphins 17. Oakland Raiders 18. Tennessee Titans 19. Indianapolis Colts 20. Atlanta Falcons 21. Carolina Panthers 22. Arizona Cardinals 23. Buffalo Bills 24. Washington Redskins 25. San Diego Chargers
Notable Changes: - I bumped the Jets down as the Darrelle Revis holdout continues and in the wake of the Calvin Pace injury. - I bumped the Vikings down because of continuing concerns about their secondary. - I bumped the Bengals up a few spots because I initially undervalued their 2009 performance. They are an aggressive defense and should be a fantasy starter by all means. - I bumped the Dolphins down because they have a brutal eight game stretch from Week 2 through Week 10. - I bumped the Raiders up because I just have a feeling the Raiders will have a decent season and it will start with the defense. This one is strictly a gut decision. - I moved the Niners up to #1 because they have the best defensive player in the game, have a soft division, and a very favorable fantasy playoffs schedule.
LeSean McCoy showed enough in his rookie campaign to allow the Philadelphia Eagles to let oft injured veteran running back Brian Westbrook walk in the offseason. Selected in the second round of the 2009 draft, McCoy now has a chance to put his skills on full display.
The question is, how good do you think he will be? In abbreviated appearances (only 4 starts despite appearing in all 16 games) last season he managed to rush for 637 yards and 4 TD. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry, a more then respectable number.
As has always been the Eagles nature, he was a great option in the passing game. He had 40 receptions for 308 yards, showing the same type of ability as Westbrook did. In their offense that uses a lot of screens, Westbrook accumulated as many as 90 catches in a season and was always a threat.
With Kevin Kolb manning the quarterback position, it’s quite possible that the focus on using the running backs increases. Despite the ability Kolb showed last season, there’s a big difference starting week after week, as opposed to starting just one or two games (you can click here for my full thoughts on him).
He could easily feel the pressure. The Eagles could easily script the plays in order to protect him, limiting the risks he’s forced to take. That means more screens, more check downs to his running back or tight end. That means more opportunities for McCoy to excel.
The offensive line, however, will need to hold up to allow him to run rampant. The last time they stepped on the field, they allowed four sacks to the Dallas Cowboys, including a pair from DeMarcus Ware. continue reading »
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As a fantasy sports nut that has multiple teams with multiple platforms, I have spent plenty of time toggling between different websites and having mutliple browsers open as I kept tabs on my fantasy teams. I always though that it would be great if I could manage all of my fantasy teams from one location. Now you can.
PICKEMFIRST acts like a Fantasy Sports assistant. This internet browser extension will save you time by identifying athletes on any web page you visit and highlighting the Free Agents in your fantasy league. It also provides shortcuts to your favorite fantasy website and conveniently aggregates news from Rotowire and tweets from the athletes themselves. The best thing is, the service is free at www.pickemfirst.com.
Pick ‘em First made some dramatic changes and improvements. It is now available on Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, it was extended to support NBA, NHL and College football, you no longer need a google account to use Pickemfirst, and you can import fantasy football leagues from 7 different websites! Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, RTsports, MFL, nfl.com and Athlon.
Here is a video to show how this slick program works:
Trading cards is a popular fixture in American culture.The best time to find a better trade in the NHL is around the league's annual trade deadline in March.
