Fantasy Football
Welcome to NFL Dog's Coverage of Fantasy football. Our Fantasy Football expert Bryan Dietzler will provide year round fantasy football coverage with weekly "start em" and "sit em" articles throughout the year.
2010 Preseason Fantasy Football Preview
The 2010 preseason is almost here and as any fan of fantasy football knows, almost every single fantasy football option out there (to include Yahoo, NFL.com and Fox Sports) has opened the doors to begin signing up for fantasy leagues. It’s truly an exciting time of year for all fantasy football fans as they prepare to jump in, start drafting and start preparing for the upcoming fantasy football season.
Last year was a big year for fantasy football as we saw running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks step things up and have some big games. Some of the most consistent performers in 2009 included quarterback Drew Brees, running back Chris Johnson and wide receiver Andre Johnson. Some guys that ended up not producing so well last year included quarterback Jay Cutler, wide receiver Chad Johnson and running back Brian Westbrook.
So what players can you turn to this coming season that will help you win in your fantasy league? Let’s take a look at ten players that you should be thinking about drafting before your fantasy football draft, where these guys might go and how they can help your team. (They are in no particular order).
1. Drew Brees-QB-If you have a chance, get Brees early. He’s a first round pick and he can help your team by putting up a lot of points week in and week out with consistency.
2. Peyton Manning-QB-Manning is always reliable and a good choice in the first round of your fantasy draft. Like Brees, he brings consistency each week and can put up a lot of points at the quarterback position.
3. Thomas Jones-RB-Sure, he’s in Kansas City where wins are few and far between but Jones still has a lot left in the tank and the Chiefs can run the football. He may be a late first to early second round selection but keep in mind, he may be splitting carries with Jammal Charles so keep an eye on his situation.
4. Tom Brady-QB-Brady, like Manning and Brees, is going to be a solid option again this season despite the fact that the Patriots may have some trouble at the wide receiver position. Brady can always be counted on. He’s definitely a first rounder.
5. Adrian Peterson-RB-Peterson may have a nasty fumble problems but he is clearly the best running back in the NFC. Grabbing him near the top or the middle of the first round would be an excellent idea.
6. New York Jets Defense-Why you may feel that talking about a defense is worthless when doing a top ten list, keep this in mind. Some defenses (in 2009) average 10-15 points a game so you can’t underestimate the value of a good defense. The best this year might be the Jets. Make them a mid round selection wouldn’t be a bad idea.
7. Dez Bryant-WR-Yes, he is a rookie but you can bet that Bryant is going to see a lot of passes thrown his way this season. He might scare a few fantasy football players away (as an early round pick) but making him a third or fourth round choice might not be a bad idea.
8. Chris Wells-RB-Now that Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner is gone the Cardinals will field a team that needs to support its new quarterback on the ground. Wells, who had a decent first season in the NFL last year, should have a good season and could be worth a second or third round pick in your fantasy draft this year.
9. Austin Collie-WR-Collie had a great season with the Colts as a rookie in 2009 and he should only be better in 2010. Keep him in mind when you are looking for a wide receiver somewhere in the late second to early third rounds.
10. Phillip Rivers-QB-Rivers has been consistent year in and year out for fantasy owners and should end up being one of the first quarterbacks selected in any fantasy draft this season. He looks like he should be just as or more productive this season and would be a smart choice for any fantasy owner.
Week 17 Start Em and Sit Em
Well it’s the last week of the regular NFL football season and for some of us, including myself, you could be in your league’s championship game hoping that you have chosen the right lineup in order to win your leagues big game and quite possibly some good money. Last week you saw some of the usual suspects play well, guys like Chris Johnson and Phillip Rivers while others didn’t step up as much as we thought (such as Drew Brees). There were even some players that got pulled early and didn’t play a full game thus affecting the outcomes of some fantasy games (see the Indianapolis Colts). Your best bet is to start players from teams that are either looking to get a playoff spot or trying to improve their position after having already clinched a playoff spot. These teams should keep their starters in for the whole game.
So here is a look at the players that you should start and sit in week 17. This is the last edition of start em and sit em for this season. Look forward to more fantasy previews next year starting in late July 2010.
Start Em:
1. Ben Roethlisberger-Pittsburgh at Miami-The Steelers are still in the hunt for a playoff spot so look for Big Ben to be throwing the ball often in this game.
2. Donavan McNabb-Philadelphia vs. Dallas-The Eagles and the Cowboys are looking for some playoff positioning (better positioning) and so McNabb and his counterpart Tony Romo could have a big game this Sunday.
3. DeSean Jackson-Philadelphia vs. Dallas-Jackson is a big time playmaker and will be used often in this game.
4. Ray Rice-Baltimore vs. Oakland-The Ravens have a shot at the playoffs so they will be going all out in this game which means Ray Rice should be seeing a lot of action.
5. Matt Schaub-Houston vs. New England-Houston is another team in the playoff hunt and Schaub, along with wide receiver Andre Johnson, could have a good game against the Patriots.
Sit Em:
1. Peyton Manning-Indianapolis vs. Buffalo-It’s hard to believe that I would suggest sitting Manning but it’s doubtful that the coaching staff will allow him to play for too long in this game.
2. Eli Manning-New York Giants vs. Minnesota-The Vikings will be playing at home and will want to have some momentum going into the playoffs so their defense could make it a hard day for Manning.
3. Reggie Wayne-Indianapolis vs. Buffalo-Wayne will probably be another casualty of the starters being sat for the playoffs.
4. Seattle Defense-Seattle vs. Tennessee-Chris Johnson is trying to put his name in the record books and the Seahawks are probably the ideal team for him to do it against. Sitting them would be a great idea.
5. Drew Brees-New Orleans vs. Carolina-It’s a tough call as we might expect the Saints to sit some of their starters. Start him at your own risk.select a running back and who you select.
Let’s take a look at the top five running backs for the 2009 NFL fantasy football season. We will also take a quick look at five other running backs that you should strongly consider.
1. Adrian Peterson-Minnesota Vikings-Peterson comes in as the number one running back in fantasy football and could almost easily be the first player selected in many fantasy football drafts. He is a sure bet almost every time but could be an injury risk.
2. Michael Turner-Atlanta Falcons-Can Turner follow up a spectacular 2008 season with another similar season in 2009? Many fantasy owners will hope so as it’s likely he will be taken in the first round by many fantasy owners.
3. Matt Forte-Chicago Bears-Forte slipped in under the radar last year as a rookie but fantasy owners won’t be gun-shy in taking him now. He should have another productive season as long as he can stay injury free.
4. DeAngelo Williams-Carolina Panthers-The Panthers surprising one two punch started off with Williams running for a lot of touchdowns and a lot of yards last season. Picking him up early would be a good idea as it is assured he will post some big numbers in 2009.
5. Brian Westbrook-Philadelphia Eagles-Despite the fact he will miss almost the entire preseason due to ankle surgery, Westbrook still has a lot to offer any fantasy owner and if he can stay healthy, he should be able to be his usual productive self this season.
Here are five more running backs that you should consider drafting a little later on (2nd round or later) in your fantasy football draft:
Thomas Jones-New York Jets-Jones comes into the season a little less “needed” thanks to the drafting of Shonn Greene but he should be able to get a lot of yards with some rest in a two back system and could become an important part of any fantasy team.
Clinton Portis-Washington Redskins-Portis still has a lot in the tank and should be good to go in 2009. The thing that worries most fantasy owners about Portis is his injury history. He does play hurt but sometimes isn’t as productive when he is making him unattractive to some fantasy owners but still a good value in the upper rounds.
Maurice Jones Drew-Jacksonville Jaguars-Jones Drew will end up getting most of the carries in the Jaguars offensive system now that Fred Taylor is gone and he could have a very productive season. While he may warrant higher consideration, Jones Drew’s size may not allow him to hold up to long and withstand the kind of pounding he is sure to take this season.
Steven Jackson-St. Louis Rams-Health is the biggest factor for Jackson and this might keep a few fantasy football guys from drafting him early. If he’s healthy, he’s one of the best running backs in the NFL but that’s a big if. Look for him to be taken somewhere in the middle to early middle rounds (late second to fourth) in many fantasy drafts.
Chris Johnson-Tennessee Titans-The biggest question surrounding Johnson is can he do the same thing that he did last season? All signs point to the fact that he will be able to have a repeat performance and because he is that good many fantasy owners may look at taking him in the late first to early second rounds of their fantasy drafts.
Sleeper alert: Felix Jones-Cowboys- Before his injury last year Felix was looking spectacular. The 2008 NFL Draft 1st rounder Jones is the highest draft pick the Cowboys have had at running back since Emmitt Smith and did I mention he has 4.40 speed and will be used all over the field this year, returning kicks, punts and in the passing game. If he stays healthy he will get you some serious fantasy points.