Short-term versus long-term thinking is the theme for free agents this week. Whose bandwagon do you hop on with expectations for future results, and whose best days are behind them? Blips on the radar are a dime a dozen in fantasy football, so we must consider all factors to predict who’s here to stay.

The big question for those seeking wide receiver help is, Ted Ginn Jr. or Donnie Avery with a waiver wire pick? Really, you can’t wrong with either one of these guys, but if you ask us, we like Ginn Jr.’s chances to out-produce Avery. The reason? Experience and learning on past mistakes. Read more »

Week 8 is officially a closed chapter in the NFL saga of 2008. That means it’s time to dish out some Week 8 hardware.

Things are going right in Philly as running back Brian Westbrook returned from injury to take home MVP honors, while last week’s top star Steven Jackson sat this one out with an injury of his own. The circus that is the Dallas Cowboys continues to cause fantasy woes and Seahawks posted 35 points without John Carlson or Julius Jones finding the endzone. Read more »

Seven Weeks down; ten to go. And the NFL class of 2008 is making its presence felt on Sundays (and Mondays for that matter). Big Week 7 performances from Chris Johnson and Matt Forte showed the fantasy world that these first year guys mean business.

John Carlson caught one for a score for the second straight game and Darren McFadden is still vying to touch the ball in Oakland. The Rams offense woke up in Week 7’s upset over Dallasm which could translate into good numbers for Donnie Avery, while the Jets demise to the Raiders in OT may mean it’s time to give up on Dustin Keller for the rest of ‘08. Read more »

“Flux” is a positive term in fantasy football. Positions or situations that remain unsettled leave opportunities for less heralded players to make contributions. Of course, who’s getting chances and what they’ll do with them are two things that will challenge owners on the waiver wire each week.

The modern NFL, with team and league-mandated suspensions being handed down, has even more challenges. Is Chiefs running back Larry Johnson going to be suspended this week? Are either Kolby Smith or Jamaal Charles worth pickups in his place? Read more »

As their inaugural campaign progresses, many of the NFL’s top young talents are beginning to feel the wear and tear of a 16-game professional season. Eddie Royal of the Broncos missed Week 6 action with an ankle injury and Dallas’ Felix Jones left the Cowboys loss at Arizona with a hamstring problem.

Many of those who were healty enough to play, however, contributed greatly to their teams’ success. Matt Ryan didn’t turn the ball over and threw a beautiful 26-yard out pattern to set his team up for the game-winning field goal. He also hit fellow top-rookie Harry Douglas for 96 yards on the day. Even St. Louis had a good weekend as rookie Donny Avery led the team in receiving during their first win of 2008. Read more »

We all know that an opportunity lost for one fantasy owner is an opportunity gained for another.
But, in the last few weeks, opportunities lost in the form of Tom Brady, Tony Romo or Matt Hasselbeck have yielded far lesser opportunities in Matt Cassel, Brad Johnson, Charlie Frye and Seneca Wallace.

All of these guys demand waiver wire consideration, but can they serve any purpose to fantasy teams other than acting as warm bodies during bye weeks? The answer, in most cases, is a resounding “not really,” but help has to come in any form an owner can get. Read more »

The NFL’s class of 2008 has made its presence felt through the first quarter of the season. Week 5 proved to be no different as many rookies found their way into the endzones and impacted fantasy games everywhere during a time when depth was huge due to bye weeks and injuries.

For the third straight week, Houston’s Steve Slaton looked great. It certainly doesn’t seem like he’s only started three games as a pro. And in Dallas, Felix Jones taught the Cowboys a valuable lesson by following up his zero-touch effort in Week 4 with an impressive showing of 96 yards on nine carries including a 33-yard touchdown scamper. Read more »