LestersLegends.com

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Pro Bowl Result:  0-1
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Regular Season Lock Picks:  28-6 (.824)
Regular Season Total:  176-80 (.688)
Playoffs Picks:  6-4 (.600)
Pro Bowl Pick:  0-1
Overall Total:  182-85 (.682)

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Super Bowl XLVI Pick: This time I think the Patriots get the Giants. With Gronk, Hernandez, and Welker I think Brady will be able to handle the Giants’ pressure. I am expecting a great game. I’m just think (and am hopeful) that New England comes out on top.
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Also check out:

• Super Bowl XLVI Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Super Bowl XLVI  Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Super Bowl XLVI Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Super Bowl XLVI Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Super Bowl XLVI  Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• Super Bowl XLVI  Fantasy Football K Rankings

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Fantasy Loudmouth is sponsoring another fantasy football contest this week featuring two of the top quarterbacks this season.
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All you have to do is guess the combined passing yards for Tom Brady and Eli Manning in Week 9. Whoever comes the closest without going over takes home the prize.
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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 Fantasy Loudmouth.
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Pinkus/Getty
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Also check out:

• Week 9 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football K Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• Week 9 Fantasy Football Sit/Start Advice
• Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleepers
• Week 9 Fantasy Football Waiver Advice
• Five Situations to Watch Coming Out of the Week 8 Bye
• Week 9 NFL Picks

Danny Woodhead exploded out of obscurity to a Madden cover contender when he came over to the Patriots from the Jets last year. With 547 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 379 receiving yards and another score, Woodhead had the makings of a solid bench option in PPR leagues. That is before the Patriots turned their attention to the running back position in the 2011 NFL Draft.
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Woodhead,whose size doesn’t nearly match his heart, got some as the Patriots added Shane Vereen in the second round and Stevan Ridley in the third round. Will their arrival crush Woodhead’s fantasy value?
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I wouldn’t go as far to say it will crush it, but their arrival certainly isn’t doing Danny any favors, especially when you consider that BenJarvus Green-Ellis will also likely be in the mix for the bulk of the carries.
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Woodhead has some things going for him though. He is dynamic and versatile. He is very similar in style to Wes Welker, who is a favorite of both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Woodhead fits perfectly into the Patriots system, which gives him a leg up on the youngsters.
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Though he’s not exactly a rugged veteran, he still has completed his learning curve. It’s going to take some time for Vereen and Ridley to get accustomed to the speed of the pro game. Not having OTAs will hurt the rookies.
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Rookies often have trouble in blitz protection. Without the extra OTA reps, that could be even a bigger issue in 2011. Knowing how to pick up blitzes and when to slip out to give Brady another option will take practice. BenJarvus Green-Ellis could be affected more than Woodhead as Belichick will want him in the game on third downs.
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Woodhead won’t take a healthy investment. He is the 52nd ranked running back according to MockDraftCentral. That makes him an RB5 to provide depth. He gets a bump in PPR leagues where he could likely serve as a RB4. If you only intend on using him during bye weeks and as an injury replacement in PPR leagues you shouldn’t be disappointed.
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Also check out:

• 2011 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football TE Rankings

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There is some speculation that Chad Ochocinco could land with the Patriots when the lockout comes to a close. The Patriots have had success taking talented players with less than perfect pasts. Does he make sense for New England though?
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At 33 he is no longer the threat that he once was. Ocho has just one 1000 yard season in the past three year, and at 1047 yards it was well off the 1374 he averaged from 2003-2007. 43 (8.6 TDs per season) of his 66 career touchdowns came from that stretch giving him an average of. The past three years he averaged 806  yards and 5.7 touchdowns. He averaged 92.4 receptions from 03-07 and just 64 over the past three years.
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Everything depends on Ochocinco’s mental state. If he commits himself to the game, like he did in 2009, Ocho can put up solid numbers once again. He would have to limit some of the sideshow activities and focus on football.
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The thing the Patriots have going for them is they are not afraid to step on toes. Randy Moss was abruptly shown the door when he started to create tension in New England’s locker room. When players’ worth on the field no longer justifies their paychecks, the Patriots aren’t afraid to move on. With a strong-minded coach and quarterback, the Patriots simply wouldn’t put up with Ocho’s ways.
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Most of the drama is usually occurs when his team isn’t winning. When things were going good in Cincinnati, Ocho’s antics were cute and funny. When they were losing it was looked at as a distraction. If the Patriots were to continue their success, which is a strong possibility, then it should be less of an issue for Ochocinco to walk the line.
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While he would’t replace Randy Moss as a deep threat, Ocho would help. Deion Branch did an admirable job for the Patriots following his trade from Seattle, but he would likely have a hard time holding off Ocho for snaps.
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Ocho’s days of being a WR1 are long over. Mostly he would be a WR3 that could potentially produce like a WR2. We’ll just have to stay tuned to see where he lands.
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Also check out:

• 2011 Early Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football TE Rankings

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I know it’s blasphemy for a Patriots fan like myself to not rank Tom Brady in the top five in fantasy quarterback rankings, but that’s how I roll. I try to look at things with an unbiased eye to give my most honest evaluations.
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In an actual game there aren’t many quarterbacks in the league, if any, that I would hand the ball to over Brady in a crucial spot, but you can’t play favorites when assembling your fantasy team.
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Brady is coming off a remarkable season that saw him toss 36 touchdowns to just four interceptions to lead all quarterbacks with a 111.0 passer rating. Oh, and he threw for 3900 yards to boot. Those numbers are sick.
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After averaging 38 touchdown passes over his past three full seasons I must be off my rocker to rank Brady sixth. Hear me out.
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The Patriots drafted a pair of running backs in the 2011 NFL Draft leading me to believe that Bill Belichick is looking to pound the ball on the ground more to take some of the pressure off of his defense.
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I know it didn’t affect him last year, but without Randy Moss, Brady does not have the means to stretch the field. Wes Welker and his young tight ends are nearly impossible to cover, but they aren’t deep threats. I think Brady has a hard time reaching 30 touchdown passes again.
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Brady owners also have to be concerned with Bill Belichick’s schemes. The only thing that matters to Belichick and Brady is the win. There were three games that Brady threw fewer than 250 yards with just one touchdown. There were five more games in which he threw for less than 250 yards and two touchdowns. In half of Brady’s games he was average or better. Three of his three touchdown games saw him pass for 258 yards or fewer.
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We all know he’s capable of putting up a huge game, but more often than not he’s not putting up the monster game.
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In my estimation there are six elite fantasy quarterbacks this year. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning, and Brady.  Tony Romo and Matt Schaub are right on the cusp, but a notch below. Ranking Brady sixth is less a knock on him than a testament to the number of top tier quarterbacks.
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What are your thoughts on Tom Brady heading into the 2011 season?
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Also check out:

• 2011 Early Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Early Fantasy Football WR Rankings