LestersLegends.com

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By Phillip Phillips
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Football like life is a matter of inches; this cliché has been used many times over the years as we all know by now. However, I offer up a new twist on this old cliché, Football like life is a matter of choices and as we saw on Sunday having too many choices brought embarrassment to some of our top teams.
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It’s really fairly simple I will quote a good friend of mine, a High School coach here in Tennessee who is making his playoff debut this week. Who said when “I won my 1^st State title as OC, I had to water down my offense to make it easier to understand for everyone. I took out the Language & just made it left this & right that.” This Sunday we saw two separate teams over exhaust themselves to the point that they actually made things easier for the defense. Who you say am I calling out? I am pointing this square at the Saints & the Patriots.
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Against the Feeley guided Rams one would have thought that Tony LaRussa & Albert Pujols were coaching & playing in this game not to mention David Freese playing WR by how the ‘Aints were defending.  But defense is not the focus here. Could the Saints issue be they simply have too many targets for Drew Brees? How much time does one QB need to drop back make a read and deliver a strike especially against a team that was no better than the Colts a week before? At times he had up to six seconds or more in the pocket plus scrambling time. The last I checked the Rams secondary did not sign Deion Sanders nor did they trade for Champ Bailey. I suspect one of two things here, a team still riding a high from a Monday Night win that was deserving of Sunday’s loss or two as I have stated a team with simply too many options that leaves the QB second guessing himself. Let me move to the Patriots for more an even better example.
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Oh my beloved Patriots how you let me down. Options what do we have, let’s see  in order: Welker, Gronkowski, Hernandez, Branch, Faulk (who is Back), The Law-Firm (not too active on Sunday), Woodhead, Price, OchoCinco (for the all negative, I still believe they are holding him back, a route tree is the same everywhere), Ridley. I can count around 3-5 times that know Brady outright missed a wide open Welker, why? I ask the same question as I did with the Saints, how much time does Brady need to get rid of the ball? On the very last play of the game instead of getting rid of the ball shorter than desired & spiking it, which enough time remained, Brady opted to move around look to his right, directly at the defender, who swatted the ball out of his hands. Really! Tom, how do you miss wide open guys so much, quit trying to be a hero you already are, play like a veteran not a rookie.
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Look at the teams that all won on Sunday, Bills how many options do they have? Steve Johnson, Fred Jackson & some other guys. The Rams have Steven Jackson & Brandon Lloyd & a bunch of other guys. The only thing having a lot options do is keep you viable & not allow an Indy situation to happen to your franchise. However, you WILL run into a roadblock & get embarrassed & on any given Sunday suffer at the hands of the Football Gods.
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Also check out:

• Week 9 Fantasy Football Waiver Advice

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Marques Colston is sidelined with a broken collarbone, but do not expect the Saints’ potent offense to come to a halt. Drew Brees is too talented and he’ll make due with the weapons he has.
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Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are more than capable of shouldering the load while Colston and Lance Moore (groin) are on the mend. They have been in the offense for years and that continuity should not go unnoticed.
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The injuries could almost be a blessing for Jimmy Graham as there are less mouths to feed in what is expected to be his breakout season. Graham has the speed-size-athleticism combo that today’s best tight ends possess. It makes them virtually unable to be covered by linebackers because of his speed and by safeties because of his size.
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Darren Sproles was every bit as good as advertised for the Saints. He should make the loss of Reggie Bush go unnoticed. He’s equally as dangerous in the return game and in the passing game as Bush, but is a better runner between the tackles.
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Speaking of runners, despite getting stuffed at the goal line, Ingram’s presence will provide enough balance to keep defenses from merely trying to take the pass away. If they go with a dime package to slow Brees, Ingram will make them pay.
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Don’t downgrade Brees. He’ll be just fine. Aside from Colston, all the Saints’ skill position players actually get an upgrade.
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Also check out:

• Week 1 Fantasy QB Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy RB Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy WR Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy TE Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy K Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy DEF Rankings
• Week 1 Fantasy IDP Rankings
• Week 1 Start/Sit
• Week 1 Sleepers

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings – PPR
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football K Rankings

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The NFC South features three of the top quarterbacks in the league and a rookie that wants to become an icon.
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Drew Brees sets the bar for the NFC South, and you need a ladder to reach it. Brees topped 4000 yards for the fifth straight year, 4620 to be exact. His 33 touchdown passes marked his third straight year with at least 33. Brees is remarkably accurate, productive, and consistent. He’s a bona fide star and top tier QB1. It doesn’t seem to matter who is catching the ball for him.
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Matt Ryan made a nice jump into borderline QB1 territory last year. He threw for 3705  yards and 28 touchdowns. Roddy White is one of the most explosive receivers in the league. The Falcons traded the moon for rookie WR Julio Jones to compliment Roddy. I’m not sure Ryan can be much more productive than last year, given their commitment to Michael Turner and the running game, but he should be as good or slightly better. Ryan is a low-end QB1, high-end QB2.
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Josh Freeman quietly turned in a solid season, throwing for 3451 yards and 25 touchdowns. Perhaps as impressive was his INT total (6). He added another 364 yards on the ground. Given his size, I expect Freeman to record his first rushing touchdown next year. His numbers are a little bloated thanks to a five touchdown performance against a dismal Seahawks pass defense in Week 16, but he remains a terrific QB2. Freeman really developed a nice rapport with Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn is ahead of schedule on his ACL recovery and should be more effective in 2011.
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Then you have Cam Newton. He is an amazing athlete, capable of being very productive with his arm and his feet. The lockout could prevent Newton from becoming comfortable with the offense, but he will still have the instincts to make plays with his feet. He’s worth a look late in the draft as a QB2, but he could run hot and cold in 2011, especially if Steve Smith gets his wish and is dealt to a contender.
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Also check out:

• AFC East Quarterback Situations
• AFC North Quarterback Situations
• AFC South Quarterback Situations
• AFC West Quarterback Situations
• NFC East Quarterback Situations
• NFC North Quarterback Situations

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Did you miss the playoffs or get eliminated? That doesn’t mean the winning has to stop. SMW Clothing is giving you a shot at redemption. All you have to do is guess the combined passing yards for Drew Brees and Matt Ryan on Monday Night Football. Whoever comes the closest without going over takes home the prize.
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Drew Brees is averaging 294.4 yards per game with a high of 382 and a low of 221. Matt Ryan is averaging 237.2 yards per game with a high of 316 and a low of 174.
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Oh, and if you are still in the hunt in your fantasy league, no worries. You’ll look great in this shirt as you brag about your fantasy football championship. .
As always, be original. If somebody guessed a total you want, you’ll have to come up with another one. Just leave a comment with your best guess and be sure to check out SMW Clothing.
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Also check out:

• Week 16 Get ‘em or Don’t Sweat ‘em Waiver Wire Advice
• Week 16 Fantasy QB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy RB Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy WR Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy TE Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy K Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy DEF Rankings
• Week 16 Fantasy IDP Rankings
• Week 16 Start/Sit Advice

The NFL season kicks off tomorrow tonight and I figured we could do something fun, and in the process I could reward one of my loyal readers with a cool gift. The rules are simple. Whoever comes the closest in predicting Brett Favre and Drew Brees’ combined passing yards in the NFL season opener will win the prize.

What is the prize you ask? I won a Le Rustique wine rack in a drawing from Zim Consulting (Join their Facebook page to be eligible for future contests). I am not a wine drinker so I decided to share the bounty with you.

Enter your guess below and enjoy the game tomorrow tonight.

Written by Eric Stashin of www.rotoprofessor.com

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Many people think that 2010 will finally be the year that Pierre Thomas fully breaks out and explodes onto the scene.  My question for those people is…  Why?

Don’t get me wrong, Thomas is a solid running back and could emerge as a Top 10-15 RB, but that’s about his upper limit in my mind.  However, he’s currently the 16th running back being drafted (with an ADP of 29.00 according to Mock Draft Central).

Basically, he’s being drafted about where I think his best-case scenario is.  I know, he’s likely to finally be the #1 running back in New Orleans, but there are a few reasons that I’m skeptical heading into the season.

First of all, the presence of Reggie Bush.  While Thomas may get the bulk of the carries, Bush has proven to be a dynamic third down/change of pace back.  He’s going to be in the game as a receiving option and a playmaker, but don’t discount his ability to run the ball as well.

Granted, the team is not likely to hand the ball off to him time and time again, in order to keep him healthy.  Still, this past weekend he proved just how dangerous he could be on the ground rushing seven times for 49 yards and a touchdown.

The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints are a fantasy friendly bunch. Big things should be in store for them in 2010 as well.

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule: Moderate
On paper they have a cakewalk (Rams in Week 14), a dogfight (Ravens in Week 15), and a tough divisional match-up (Falcons in Week 16). The Baltimore game is in the road, and they could possibly run into some tough weather.

Five Star Fantasy Options
Drew Brees – Brees is easily one of the premier QBs (fantasy and reality) in the league. Throwing for 4000+ yards and 30+ TDs has become commonplace. He’s as consistent as they come.

Marques Colston – He has more weapons to share with Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson’s development, but he is still the go-to-guy.

Four Star Fantasy Options
Pierre Thomas – Staying healthy is the key, but PT is one of the most versatile backs in the league. He could approach 1500 total yards and double-digit scores.

Three Star Fantasy Options
Reggie Bush – Bush is obviously more valued in PPR leagues, but he has some value in standard leagues as well. He could easily approach 1000 total yards and 8-10 TDs.

Two Star Fantasy Options
Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson – I like both of these young WRs, but I value Meachem a little more. Meachem had 722 yards and 9 TDs. Henderson had 804 yards and 2 scores.

Jeremy Shockey – His mouth could lead you to believe he’s better than he actually is. He will get some yards, but he’s just as likely to injure himself.

Saints Defense/Special Teams – Their D isn’t great, but they are well coached. Darren Sharper is a perfect fit for this defense racking up INTs.

One Star Fantasy Options
Lynell Hamilton – Hamilton will take over for Mike Bell. He’ll need a PT injury to have consistent value.

Lance Moore – Injuries cost him last year, and given the success Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem shared, he could see few opportunities in 2010.

Click here for additional 2010 NFL Team Previews.