15
Oct
2008

Gridiron Game Notes: The Walking Wounded

Posted by Dustin Hockensmith

NFL quarterbacks are dropping faster than bad guys in a cheesy Sly Stallone movie. Only, instead of bringing disgrace to the box office, these walking wounded are exiting games early, being scratched from starts late, and piling up losses for fantasy owners.

The Big 3 have been at the front of the line, obviously highlighted by Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury in Week 1. Peyton Manning is only now himself after two offseason knee surgeries contributed to an uncharacteristic slow start, and Tony Romo is on the shelf for the next month with a broken pinkie finger. Read more »

6
Oct
2008

Gridiron Game Notes: Going Local

Posted by Dustin Hockensmith

We cannot understate the impact of getting team-specific news from local newspapers. While reading blogs like this one certainly can paint a big picture of what’s happening around the National Football League, questions about players and teams can best be answered by local beat writers. These are true journalists who cover a team all week, have locker room access and get a much better feel for all of the developing storylines - big and small.

There are two difficult things for a fantasy owner in their plight to find this kind of information. First, locating hometown news sites online can be time-consuming and difficult. Second, once you find the news you need, what do you do with it? How do you put it into the perspective of YOUR fantasy team? Read more »

18
Sep
2008

Week 3 could feature several games that produce shootouts like last week’s San Diego-Denver clash or Philadelphia-Dallas on Monday night.

Jay Cutler leads the NFL in passing yards after brilliant performances against Oakland and San Diego and gets another favorable matchup with the Saints in town this week. For anyone not convinced on starting Cutler, search our tag for Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, Cutler’s top two targets.

49ers QB J.T. O’Sullivan surprised everyone with a gutsy performance in Seattle. Look out for a HUGE fantasy day at home against Detroit. He’s almost guaranteed to put up numbers, although if the Niners grab a big lead early the Lions may see San Francisco’s backups.

This week is also about quarterbacks who need to prove something. Matt Hasselbeck’s sqaud is 0-2 after two subpar performances, and the veteran needs to bounce back with a strong outing against St. Louis. Philip Rivers and company are also 0-2, and they need nothing more than a convincing win on Monday Night Football vs. the Jets.

Baltimore’s Joe Flacco can prove that Week 1 was no fluke, Donovan McNabb can knock off his toughest test this year, and Aaron Rodgers can finally prove himself against a team that actually has a victory.

Here are the top quarterbacks for Week 3:

Rk Player, Team Pos Notes
1. Jay Cutler, DEN NO League leader in passing vs. 29th-ranked defense
2. J.T. O’Sullivan, SF DET Breakout performance should include big yardage, TDs
3. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA STL Expect 0-2 Hawks to come out flying vs. horrid Rams D
4. Matt Cassel, NE MIA 0 INTs through 2 games; will shred weak Miami D
5. Philip Rivers, SD NYJ Lost 2 games in final seconds; statement game for SD
6. Trent Edwards, BUF OAK New-look Bills ride momentum vs. shaky OAK secondary
7. Joe Flacco, BAL CLE Week off helps; poor Browns pass D helps even more
8. Jon Kitna, DET @SF Tough west coast trip, but soft SF defense awaits
9. Jake Delhomme, CAR @MIN Steve Smith returns; Cardiac Cats play well in 4th quarter
10. Brett Favre, NYJ @SD Going doesn’t get any easier vs. determined Chargers D
11. Drew Brees, NO @DEN Has big-play potential despite hostile road environment
12. Marc Bulger, STL @SEA New crowd, same results; will play from behind all day
13. Donovan McNabb, PHI PIT MVP-candidate will face toughest test from cross-state D
14. Tony Romo, DAL @ GB First game at Lambeau Field; Cowboys O is explosive
15. Aaron Rodgers, GB DAL Should match Romo blow-for-blow in primetime shootout
15
Sep
2008

Big Bertha’s Week 2 Hardware

Posted by Mike Bertha

With all but two games (MNF and the Ravens at Texans match-up moved to November 9 because of Hurricane Ike) said and done in Week 2, it’s time once again to award those who put forth influential fantasy performances. And, when seven teams post 30+ points, a lot of guys are going to be deserving of recognition.
 
We’ll start in Denver where seven passing touchdowns and more than 940 yards of combined offense tell the tale of two division rivals who found themselves in the middle of a good old fashioned shootout. Also, be sure to take note of Week 2’s dream lineup. If you had any piece of this team, there’s a good chance you embarrassed the rest of your league. Read more »

23
Aug
2008

Marquee Quarterbacks Limping Through Preseason

Posted by Dustin Hockensmith

In this, the “year of the non-running back” in fantasy football, quarterbacks and wide receivers have been expected to play much larger roles for us than in previous seasons. Between excellent crops at both positions and the decreased work loads of NFL running backs, powerhouse fantasy backfields are becoming less and less imperative to a team’s success.

Problems are arising in this new draft theory as marquee quarterbacks battle injuries that have affected their preseason reps and conditioning. Should we be concerned about Peyton Manning (knee), Tom Brady (foot), or Matt Hasselbeck (back)? We think so, if anything because fantasy owners have placed so much faith in them to lead their teams to glory. Read more »

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