Fantasy Follow-up: Things Leaned from Monday Night

After a bit of a hiatus the blog is back and in full swing.

After a long day, one thing was sure. I was most definitely ready for some football. It turned out to be quite a showing and some interesting storylines emerged throughout the divisional showdown. For starters, Braylon Edwards is one of a small handful of offensive players in the last 40 years to start for one team one week and another the next, a feat he not only accomplished, but did in style, snatching 5 catches 64 yards and a touchdown (almost 2). The Jets and Browns have similar systems and similar terminology, which enabled Braylon to crack the starting line up only 2 days after joining the team. He made an absolutely acrobatic catch on that 34 yard reception that reminded fantasy owners of his 2007 campaign. I was unaware that Edwards was also an acting major at Michigan, after dropping a huge reception he was able to draw a bogus pass interference call on the fins 5 yard line. This play enabled the Jets to go ahead with about 5 minutes left in the game. Overall he had a great game and it was remarkable how quickly he was able to do so.

Probably an even bigger story line was the emergence of Chad Henne. He was a solid 4 year starter at Michigan, though he never lived up to the potential he flashed during his freshman campaign. A second round draft pick only in his second year, Henne has been thrown into the starting position due to the injury of veteran Chad Pennington. In Henne's previous start he looked shaky at best. The dolphins did not seem to trust him either, favoring the wild cat and the two headed monster that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have become. However tonight, against a strong Jets team, the fins knew they would have to open it up a little with their neophyte quarterback. Henne shined tonight. He found open receivers, he was accurate (20/26...and 241 yards 2 tds), he got Ted Ginn Jr. involved on that long play. Anthony Fasano looked like a new man. It was a great day to be a Dolphins fan after seeing their offense so far this year.

There were some other players of note involved in tonights matchup:

1. Ronnie Brown- 74 yrds rushing, 2 tds, 14 yrds receiving (and 23 passing). Kid is a beast. Each week is proving why he should be considered part of that top tier of running backs. He looked good spearheading the wildcat attack, and came up huge on that touchdown in the final seconds of the game. He has shown he is still going to get his touches, and is definitely a must start fantasy running back. On a forum that i post on, somebody asked if they should start Braylon Edwards over Ronnie Brown....are you joking people...top 5 running back or wr that has just switched teams 2.5 days ago (it turned out that braylon put up some numbers, but ronnie was just too real).

2. Ricky Williams - 138 total yards- prior to the season i doubted the legitimacy of Ricky Williams as a fantasy player. He has definitely proven me wrong. He's a good weekly option in flex or 3 rb leagues. And he could spot start during your stars' bye weeks without much drop off. Despite Henne's performance i still expect the dolphins to be mostly a run oriented team. Look for Ricky and Ronnie (or Rail Road as i like to call them) to continue their success.

3. Ted Ginn Jr.- 2 rec 57 yds td...not the greatest game, but he finally got on the map after posting back to back miserable performances. I still do not know how confident i am in him becoming Henne's number 1 target, he is available in 35% of ESPN leagues, i would go ahead and pick him up if you can, and monitor how he does in the coming weeks as Henne continues to grow as a quarterback.

4. Mark Sanchez- 12/24 172 td....solid performance for the rookie. Do not expect too much out of him fantasy wise even though he has a new toy in Braylon Edwards. He can probably fill in for bye week quarterbacks most weeks, just avoid starting him starting him in tough matchups (ie. week 11 against @ the pats)

5. Thomas Jones- 42 yards 2 tds...not a flashy game by the veteran, but he got 13 touches including the goal line ones, and was able to find the promised land not once but twice. He has continued to put up decent numbers and could be a pretty consistent flex start (just avoid him in bad match ups as well, you saw how he did against the titans run D, 15 carries, 20 yards)


thats it for now, thanks all

Special thanks to and written by Jacob Alley

Fantasy Follow-Up- Sleeper QB's

Quarterbacks seem to be a position that managers seem to reach the most for when the fact is that quality starters can be drafted in later rounds. Point in case Aaron Rodgers last year, who was not drafted within the first ten quarterbacks. Here are a few guys who will be available later in the draft, that can produce at a high level:

Matt Hasselback- A former Boston College Eagle and Massachusetts native, Hasselbeck would make Marky-Mark Wahlberg proud with his performance so far this preseason. The veteran quarterback seems to be enjoying his new weapon WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, whom the Seahawks emptied the wallet for in the off-season. Hasselback also has a very young and talented tight-end to throw to in John Carlson. A finally healthy quarterback with something to prove will pay big dividends for your team, and I expect him to have from 28 to 30 touchdowns. Oh and also he plays in the NFC west

Matt Schaub- If he can stay healthy he has Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Owen Daniels, Steve Slaton and a good offensive line, need I say more?

Trent Edwards- Regardless of how you feel about Terrell Owens, the fact of the matter is that in the first year he makes the quarterback better. Both Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo enjoyed bountiful fantasy numbers that first year. With the speedy Lee Evans lining up opposite T.O, and pass catching running-backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch in the backfield, there are plenty of weapons. Edwards, a Stanford graduate, makes good decisions and should be able to deal with Owens and his ego. I also do not believe that his poor preseason so far is a huge cause for concern.

Jason Campbell- He is a deep sleeper, but I feel that he has a BIG chip on his shoulder. The Redskins made their pursuit of Jay Cutler very public, seemingly pushing Campbell to the curb. Although the front office might not believe he can lead this team, the players do. I side with the players and believe that this young athletic quarterback will prove the Redskins wrong. I see a good amount of yards and somewhere in the ballpark of 18 to 20 touchdowns. A lot can be said of how a quarterback can play with a chip on their shoulder, 6th round pick Tom Brady anyone?

Fantasy Follow-Up: Sleeper WR's

This seems to be the year of drafting WR's early, but if you don't get Larry Fitzgerald or Randy Moss don't fret. Here are some recievers who can be scooped up in the later rounds and produce for your fantasy team.

Kevin Walter- Walter gets overlooked because, well, when you Andre Johnson on your team its hard not too. But you'd be suprised, Walter actually had more looks in the red zone last year than his all-pro teammate. With teams focusing on stopping Johnson and Walter in single coverage, I envision that Kevin finds paydirt at least ten times this year.

Calvin Johnson- Ok I know he is not a sleeper, but given that he is probably going to be drafted after Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, and possibly Moss, Calvin is a steal. As he showed last year, anyone could play quarterback and he would be able to get the ball. He is simply that talented. I am very confident that Matt Stafford's strong arm will propel CJ to the best receiver in the league. Plus you know the Detroit Lions,( cough 0-16 last year cough), are going to be behind and will have to throw the ball quite a bit. In my opinion Calvin should be the first receiver off the board.

Anthony Gonzalez- I have always liked the former Buckeye's skill set, the only problem has been the logjam in front of him in Indianapolis. Gonzalez runs great routes and has the hands to go along. Now that Marvin Harrison is gone for good, he is ready for a breakout year. It is always a plus when Peyton Manning throwing the ball too.

Chad Ocho Cinco- I know what you're thinking. Why would I want to draft a receiver who has been the biggest headache over the past few years? Well because that headache might lead you to a fantasy championship this year. Ocho Cinco seems to be motivated, and on the same page again with quarterback Carson Palmer. I just have a feeling that you might see some touchdown celebrations this year. Hell, he might even replace your kicker after his recent preseason performance. That being said, Ocho Cinco's performance relies heavily on Carson Palmer's health. There is quite a possibility that Palmer won't stay healthy, but the reward outweighs the risk so why not take Ocho as your third wide receiver.

Fantasy Follow-Up

Here is a look at some running back sleepers for '09.

Pierre Thomas- a young, big back that took over for incumbent Reggie Bush and did nothing but produce. Added more muscle to his frame and should see a majority of the rushing touchdowns for one of the top offenses in the league.

Ray Rice- Baltimore can run the ball, picking the right running back is the tough part. Rice is emerging as the starter, as Willis McGahee can't seem to shake the injury bug and Le'ron McClain is moving to full-back. Rice, a former Rutgers star, posses all the talent to be a big contributor for your fantasy team. Plus he is having a very nice preseason thus far.

Knowshon Moreno- Don't let the fact that he is playing for the Denver Broncos scare you, or that he suffered an injury already. Moreno will emerge as the starter after a couple weeks and then will be absolute fantasy gold. We have all seen what he can do in college, and the Broncos offensive line should open up some nice lanes.

Derrick Ward- Ward put on a show when Brandon Jacobs went down last year, and was able to cash in with Tampa Bay in the offseason. Yes, Earnest Graham is in the mix but I don't see him lasting the full season without being replaced. Graham has lost the trust of many fantasy owners, including myself. Whenever he does end up out of the picture, Ward should take the lionshare of carries and also catch the ball out of the backfield.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Names for '09

With the fantasy football drafts rapidly approaching, lets take a look at some of the best team names out there.

10. Burrested Development

9. Ginn and Tonic

8. Favre from Gone

7. Steve Breastonlargement

6. Home is Where the Portis

5. I Touchdown There

4. W-D Forte

3. Corn on the Shaub

2. Don'te Drink and Drive

1. Kibbles and Vicks

honorable mentions- Rex and the City, Bros Before Schiancoes, White Cassell, The Celek Few