http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/ Sportsoutlaw provides fantasy football, and nfl information for free. en Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:15:38 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/images_so/misc/rss.jpg http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-bucs-rb-earnest-graham-105/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:25:29 GMT The Tampa Tribune reports that Caddy with likely not play at all this year.The Bucs put out positive reports about Cadillac's recovery in June, but that was all part of gaining leverage in contract talks with Earnest Graham. It paid off, as Graham agreed to a well below-market deal. The Trib anticipates Williams going on PUP, then being moved to I.R. for the rest of the year. This is what was going on in the background here in Florida and missed by some experts who didn't look at the entire picture. Much was made about the small size of Grahams contract at the time. Saying it showed lack of faith in Graham because it was only for around 2.5 Million.

Yet let me put this thought out

Earnest Graham was a undrafted walkon who made the team. This for him was a $2 million dollar a year raise. It was also very cap friendly for the Bucs. The contract also will keep Earnest Graham well motivated as there is still plenty of room to make Millions more if he performs well. It would not surprise me in the least to see some very nice production out of Graham again this year.

I watch the Bucs closely and I also watch preseason football closely, :eek:

Yes, Strangely enough, I do. The last couple of years Earnest Graham has earned the nickname Mr. October because of his production in the preseason. This hardworking underpaid guy was working his butt off in those two preseason and as a special teamer but with Pittman and Caddy around never got many carries during the season.

After two outstanding preseasons the Bucs started to give him some carries. Now most of us know the story of how well Graham did after Caddys went down. But lets look closer, in games 3 and 4 Graham had 8 carries for 75 yards and 2 Tds in 3 and 17 carries for 45 and 1 Td in 4. Politics being what they are Pitttman started whining and they cut back on Grahams carries for awhile but Pittman wasn't producing and Grahams carries slowly continued to increase as Pittman became more beat up. Then Caddy went down and we all know the story from that point. But Graham had all but beaten out Pittman as Caddys backup when Caddy got hurt. The rest of the story as they say.

Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden said Friday that RB Earnest Graham is the team's current starting running back, but he will face competition in camp, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

Proving that a RBs talent doesn't always relate to the size of his contract.

Let me take this one step farther. Look first at two of the more successful Running Back By Committees last year. the Cowboys and the Jags had a similar approach. The Cowboys had a reliable ball handler that could get solid, consistent yardage in Julius Jones. The Jags had the same virtues available in the form of Fred Taylor. Both teams used these backs to start drives. You get the ball on the 20 you use your Jones/Taylor to work your way out of the hole. Each were good at getting solid yardage with each carry, great at moving the chains and getting you out of the hole, safely. Once the Cowboys and Jags got out to midfield and had won the battle for field position they started utilizing Marion Barber and MJD. This worked with great success.

Hmmm.....Does Tampa Bay have a back like Jones/Taylor? Warrick Dunn springs to mind. Does Tampa Bay have a back like Barber/MJD? Earnest Graham springs to mind.

Will Gruden utilize these to this way? He should, it is a great system because it keeps both backs fresh only being used 1/2 of a drive each time. Now Graham might just win the starting job outright and be spelled in a more traditional manner. I think he is the best back on the field for the Bucs. But it just seems the Cowboys/Jags model of RBBC is perfectly suited for the Bucs talent at RB. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-bucs-rb-earnest-graham-105/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/become-one-draft-you-must-104/ Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:14:46 GMT Here around Sports Outlaw we have started making Yoda-like references about learning to feel the draft. I must admit I have done so in our fantasy... Here around Sports Outlaw we have started making Yoda-like references about learning to feel the draft. I must admit I have done so in our fantasy advice forums. While it may seem a little comical it is actually some great advice.

Mock a lot, do you. Yes, Mocking is a great preparation for your draft. Even if you don’t participate in mocks yourself, finding mocks to watch, like the ones on this site is excellent draft preparation. It gives you a feel for where players are valued by a variety of fantasy football owners. You should at least check out some mocks each month leading up to your draft. This monthly check will give you an idea of how players’ values are changing. Most of these changes are due to news from camps, injuries, trades. Now I think you should drop by and read the NFL News constantly, but then I am a news guy. Tries to read and absorb everything, his obsession is.

Like I was saying if you can’t check up on all the NFL happenings checking up on some mocks or Average Draft Positions can keep you up on the changing values of players as your draft comes closer. It is a great shortcut to doing obsessive research into everything going on with the NFL. A good example is Seattle WR Nate Burleson who was a big time sleeper prospect going very late in Drafts and Mocks but his status has been changing if you have been watching the Mocks and ADP lists. Not so sleepy as last month, now is he.


Ok, back to the main point again. Each draft is alive, it contains an essence, an ebb and flow along lines making each draft unique unto itself. Mocking is great but no mock will be exactly like your draft. That is why you must feel the draft. You must learn to follow the flow of the draft but you must like a salmon know when to go against the current. As in my other article A Little Dynasty Tale I mentioned that you can’t just be an owner that perceives the glass as ½ empty. But you also can’t be the owner that perceives the glass as ½ full either. You must be able to perceive your draft from both/all angles. A Little Dynasty Tale was about how a little extra preparation yielded a nice coup in a “rookie” draft.

Preparation is a big key and we all go great lengths to prepare for our drafts. No matter how much or how little you do or how much all preparation is good. I could go on and on about preparation, maybe I should write more draft articles. On and on, on and on, sometimes does he.

For now, I will talk about one thing I do during the draft and how it helps me feel the draft. For the purposes of this article we will assume we are in a ten owner draft drafting in the middle.

I take a piece of paper and list the owners in draft order leaving plenty of space available. When each owner picks I put down the type of player he picked, QB, RB, WR as he picks them. I only want to know what positions have been filled by each team and be able to calculate this up fast. Too much info would just be clutter. This can be a big help.

Let’s say you have already picked a top WR earlier and was thinking about another RB at this point. Look at your list only 5 owners have a #1 WR at this point no one has a #2 WR to say the least. Now that you know this info what do you feel about the draft at this point? When you can feel the draft the draft is about opportunities that are presented to you that can be taken advantage of or lost. While your sense of order wants to grab a RB at this point it may be an opportunity lost., glass ½ full? so maybe a change of plans is in order. You have a top WR already but you know that ½ the owners need a #1WR and will be looking to grab one very soon. Also if those owners all grab a Number #1 WR the owners that having a good #1 WR will be getting more nervous about getting a quality #2 WR. So you know at this point WRs will start to fly off the board. It may be a great time to grab another WR. You get two top WRs which is never a bad thing. Now the whole next round will likely be all WRs as you have started a WR run. The bonus is that the RBs that you were looking at will almost all be waiting for you in the next round.

Let’s look a little later in this draft. 3 Qbs went early, let’s say Brady, Manning, Romo. Now just before you pick 4 QBs fly off the board. The natural instinct is to grab one quick. But check your list of positions filled, seven teams have starting QBs. That means only two other owners might, or might not, be drafting QBs in the next round. Look at your cheatsheet and if there are 3 Qbs left you like, your glass is ½ full, so to speak. Feel the freedom, a QB you like will be around next round. You are free to find a potential difference maker for your team this round. Of course, if you like one of the QBs left much better than the rest go with your gut. But, you are now starting to look at your draft and seeing the opportunities that come and go during the draft. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/become-one-draft-you-must-104/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-seattle-seahawks-wr-nate-burleson-103/ Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:35:41 GMT Seattle Seahawks WR Nate Burleson is looking like he will be a main weapon at WR for The Seattle Seahawks this year. This is good news as QB Matt... Seattle Seahawks WR Nate Burleson is looking like he will be a main weapon at WR for The Seattle Seahawks this year. This is good news as QB Matt Hasselbeck is ranked as one of the top QB prospects this year, top 10 on most lists. Some info has come out of early camps suggesting that Burleson is being used as a starter out in Seattle. His Average Draft Position has been on the rise this off season and you should keep an eye on that. He started the offseason as a sleeper kind of pick but his stock is rising fast and he probably won't be so sleepy depending on when you draft. If you have already grabbed him in a league that drafts early congratulations are probably in order as he was probably a great value. Even though his stock is rising he will still be a nice value but still keep an eye on that ADP as he is fast becoming one of the vogue picks at WR this season. Let's look at some of the latest intel.

Mike Holmgren has insinuated that Nate Burleson is likely to be relieved of kick return duties. This is a sign that they are serious in Seattle about making Burleson a starter. Most teams don't use starting WRs as kick returners to save wear and tear on the starter. This is noteworthy in leagues that count kick return yardage. In this return yardage leagues Burleson has already been on owners radar last year. This year the gain in stats as a stater might very well be offset by the loss of return yardage so Burleson may be a wash in these return yardage leagues. But nothing is yet written in stone so return yardage leaguers should continue to keep an eye on this situation as Burleson could be huge if he does retain kick return duties. If nothing else keep an eye out to see who picks up the kick returner duties.

Seattle has been keeping the status of WR Deion Branch pretty close to the vest, so far. The lastest info I have read is saying that he is unlikely to be ready for camp and might not be ready at the start of the season. This helps Burleson, obviously. Deion Branch will probably be a take a late flyer type of WR as his value is low right now. He may end up being the real sleeper in the Seahawks WR corp. Needless to say his ongoing status is something that should be closely monitored. You can also bet that we will be keeping a close watch here at Sports Outlaw on Branch's status.

Bobby Engram sounds lie he may or may not do some holdout antics. This shouldn't really be a big problem other than draw some headlines and raise some short term concern as he and management blow smoke up each others asses. He will likely start the season as the starter and be very productive doing so. The Seahawks ought to pay him more money as he is worth it but that is just my opinion and I don't run the Seahawks. Engram should start out the season like a house afire. Making hay as the Branch don't shine, so to speak. If and when Branch comes back he will probably drop back to solid Bobby Engram numbers, which are pretty good as he is always a Red Zone target.

Engram is currently ranked in the top 20 (high teens) that will probably stay about the same. He might even drop a bit depending on the previously mentioned holdout antics. Burleson is rising in the mid 30's. Sports Outlaw ranking are about to come out soon. It will be interesting to see how we rank em. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-seattle-seahawks-wr-nate-burleson-103/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-giants-rb-ahmad-bradshaw-102/ Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:49:10 GMT USA Today reports New York Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw is expected to enter the 2008 season as RB Brandon Jacobs' primary backup.

Both MOJO and I have been touting Ahmad Bradshaw since last year. MOJO more vocally all over the forum, myself in the news threads. If you are in a Dynasty or Big Keeper format you should have this guy already.

I will keep it simple at this point. Giants RB Brandon Jacobs is in his contract year. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/player-watch-giants-rb-ahmad-bradshaw-102/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/little-dynasty-tale-101/ Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:23:31 GMT I am in one Dynasty team and have to admit I find the format very interesting. Now those of you who know me know I work the News section. Those of... I am in one Dynasty team and have to admit I find the format very interesting. Now those of you who know me know I work the News section. Those of you who don't know me, I work the News section. Sorry , I had to do that. Constantly searching for news and info everywhere and everywhere all the day long. Having all this current info bubbling around in my head makes me a natural Waiver Wire pickup freak. Tweaking this, tweaking that, like an wheel that squeaks all time, more annoying than MOJOs bugs. But being a constant tweaker, Wavier Wire seeker, has paid nice dividends through the years even in my Dynasty league.

Now one habit I have in my dynasty league every year is doing a final tweak. Now depending on the league and how you are doing this has to be done differently. If you will make the playoffs you probably have access to the WW until the end and can do this through the playoffs which is a good idea anyhow. If you will miss the playoff you may find the WW locked out to you for the remainder of the season. All these rules vary from league to league, this is the way mine is setup.

With a few weeks still left I start tweaking my team looking for any value that may be left. Now to most of us at Sports Outlaw, sharper tacks then most, this seems obvious. But in my dynasty league it is not so obvious to some. This last minute tweaking yields some interesting pickups. You have to review the year closely, did a guy who was a #5 WR become a #4? This dynasty league has a pretty tight roster so there is always a player pool on Waivers that has value.

Dead weight usually can't be tolerated long term as the current competitive need overrides the ability to stash players during the season. This means when you look for free agents near the last couple of weeks you may find good players that were injured and put on Injuried Reserve early in the season. Be one of those guys that makes last minute tweaks I usually find more quality than I can stash.

In a recent rookie draft, that does include FAs I was picking 10th as I had done well the year before. Top rookie Rbs were being grabbed some rookie WRs had gone off the board. When my pick came I picked Brandon Marshall. Everybody was like WTF! I said, Gentlemen check it out, he is not on anyones roster. Nice coup, all I had to do is take my cheetsheet and check off everybodys' players. Leave nothing to chance, check everything. Be one with the Wavier Wire and Free Agents.

Ok, granted that sounds like a lot of work and it is. But here at Sports Outlaw we help you with the heavy lifting. Last year we had people looking at the WW with the the concept of who is probably available on the wire each week and who is worthy of a pickup. You can also come to our Fantasy Advice Forum with a list of Free Agents available and get responses about who will be the best grab. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/little-dynasty-tale-101/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/bufalo-bills-passing-game-2008-99/ Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:38:27 GMT Needless to say over the last few years when talking about the Buffalo Bills passing attack the primary reaction has been, Ugh. I would like to take... Needless to say over the last few years when talking about the Buffalo Bills passing attack the primary reaction has been, Ugh.

I would like to take a journey into the Buffalo Bills 2008 passing attack and the trip may surprise you a bit.

First let us look at the QB situation. Last year the Bills developed the dreaded disease known as QB controversy. This disease is a terrible blight on any team it strikes. When starting QBs constantly get switched it undermines the passing attack severely, actually it undermines the whole O severely. First off, it undermines the QBs confidence, which is never a good idea. This disease doesn't just effect game performance it filters into practice and all the players catch it to some degree. Players in the huddle realize that the QB can get the hook at any time. The QB is a human being and has an ego and responds to the stimulus he receives from coaches , players and fans. It doesn't take much imagination to realize that you should be trying to stroke a QBs ego if you want him to perform well. Let's face it, all QBs that reach NFL levels have almost all the physical tools needed. The best way to increase an NFL QBs performance is too stoke his psyche, inspire his soul and sense of self. This cultivates the leadership and confidence in the QB which can then spread inspiration and confidence among his teammates in the huddle. Then and only then can your QB have the capability to be all he can be. If you start a QB controversy by switching QBs back and forth all you have done is put both at a disadvantage. I could go on and on about this as I consider this one of the most important aspects of football today. But it is time to get back to the Bills QB situation. about time Did you hear something?

The Bills QB situation has been pretty miserable for awhile. The last year the QB controversy started and passing production really tanked. I mean really tanked, lets' look quickly at some stats.
completions attempts yards TDs Int Fumbles
Edwards 151 269 1630 7 8 0
Losman 111 179 1204 4 6 2
Now you can combine those stats if you really want to punish yourself. Let's just say that the hybrid Edwards/Losman would have a hard time getting drafted as a backup QB in a 16 team league this year. It would probably be better to take a flyer on a #7 WR then to use the 2 picks required for this production. What can you infer out of these stats? Tough call as the samples are small which makes the data less conclusive. Edwards had a better TD to INT ratio than Losman. Edwards didn't fumble all year which is amazing considering the Bills QBs were under the gun a lot. Losman had 2 fumbles, combine those two thoughts you might be able to infer that Edwards has a better pocket presence.

J.P. Losman started the year at QB but was replaced by Trent Edwards in Game 3. Then Trent Edwards started 4 more games but lost his job after game 8. Losman started game 9 as the new starter. Losman remained the starter thru game 12. Starting with game 13 something important happened. The Bills locked on Trent Edwards as their QB for the remainder of the season. Now Edwards didn't light the world on fire to say the least. He still struggled as should be expected but there was a glimmer of hope. The Bills put up and extraordinary effort against the eventual Super Bowl champs. They took the Giants to the brink of an upset but the Giants pulled it out and used the game to spark an amazing Super Bowl run. The Bills were demoralized a bit and quietly sunk into the sunset. But as you look at those last games the Defense finished out very strong. This will be a team that can do well this year with a "caretaker" level of performance at QB. Although if you watched the Bills attack and playcalling this was a team that was dedicated to throwing the ball and wants to have a superior passing attack. The results last year were not good, obviously. But it wasn't from a conservative approach to passing that they failed it was a lack of execution. The Bills want to be a good passing team and may surprise you this year. Brady, Manning, Romo then Edwards, hardly, but what I say may be a bit of a surprise. Let me go on at this point to talk about the WRs an see if we can put together a glimpse of what The Bills passing attack may look like in 2008.

Let's go back a bit in order to analyze the Bills WRs. At one point we had Eric Moulds as the number one WR and he did a great job for the Bills over the years but he was a one man show. Moulds was also showing signs of age and his contract was getting big as he was going into the back years of a back loaded contract. But then one year it happened, Lee Evans burst upon the scene. Evans developed into a very good number two WR. Having Evans as a legitimate threat also bouyed Moulds numbers keeping him more effective even though he had been showing signs of decline. Also at this time Josh Reed showed signs of development. His stats weren't the greatest but he showed that he could break open and haul in a big gainer in his limited use as a third WR.

So the Bills decided that they had enough depth of WR talent that they could get rid of the high priced Eric Moulds and let his performance decline on another teams payroll. It turned out to be a smart move as Moulds moved on but didn't really have much impact elsewhere. So up the ladder goes Evans and Reed but unfortunately it came at a time of coaching upheaval and the QB controversy mentioned above. Not the greatest environment.

Lee Evans became the most over-hyped WR sleeper of recent memory. Everyone drafted him as the next nearly top tier WR and he hasn't lived up to that hype in fantasy circles. But that will be good as this year he probably will probably produce at nearly that level and may be a little better draft day bargain. So lets look a little more objectively at Evans. If you look at the numbers he had been a good, solid number one WR, just not to our expectations. When a over-hyped player doesn't live up to our expectations we start to dump on him because he wasn't as good as our cleverness. Remember that the QB controversy didn't even produce the equivalent of one decent QB when combined. Josh Reed literally fell off the map when he became the number two WR. This affected Evans a lot as Reed couldn't even draw enough attention to help Evans out. Enter Buffalo Draft pick, WR James Hardy. A great pick, large, quick good hands and already projected to be the starter at number two WR for the Bills this year. This puts Hardy in a great position to impact this WR corp. It is great that he comes in as second fiddle as coming in as a rookie with number one WR expectations is a lot of pressure. He is just the right combo of speed and size to become a major distraction on the opposite side of Evans. James Hardy is one of the best WR prospects in this draft and he also possibly ended up in the best situation.

So let's start to put this passing attack together. No more QB contoversy with Trent Edwards as QB. Lee Evans with Mr Hardy as an ample distraction on the other side adding a greater opportunity to get open and improved QB play to boot. James Hardy as a great number two target. Will he be a world beater his first year out, probably not, but he should put up solid number two numbers and for dynasty drafters he should be a high rookie draft target. Improvement at QB, Evans and Hardy as a one-two punch, what about Josh Reed who fell off the map? Reed goes back to the place he did his best. He becomes that sneaky guy that grabs the long ball now and then out of the slot. Becoming a nice number three punch when he was a swing and a miss as the number two WR. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/bufalo-bills-passing-game-2008-99/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/western-perspective-draft-special-part-2-98/ Fri, 30 May 2008 19:47:46 GMT *May 30, 2008* *Version 2.2* Easily the most coveted position in fantasy football is the runningback. If you are fortunate to land the number one... May 30, 2008
Version 2.2

Easily the most coveted position in fantasy football is the runningback. If you are fortunate to land the number one pick, you will not take a QB, WR, nor a TE, you’re sights are set on, in almost all cases, LT.

And why should this not be the case? LT is as close to a sure bet as you’re going to get in fantasy football, for his entire career not once has he rushed for less than 1200 yards, not once has he scored less than 10 rushing touchdowns, not once has he hauled in less than 50 receptions in a single season. Now sure, you’ll hear your basic wear and tear argument, a logical one, but do you really want to be the guy who passes on yet another year of Tomlinson’s run-game dominance?

However, this blog is not about LT but about the guys who are still on the board once he is gone, once we’re on the fourth, the fifth, the sixth pick. It is at these draft positions that you truly need the most bang for your buck, it is here where you will set the curve for your entire season.

The first back I want to discuss is a guy that was on no one’s board last season. This guy wasn’t a starter, he wasn’t even a backup, and he didn’t even receive significant playing time until the season was halfway over. Yet, Ryan Grant was still able to compile 956 yards rushing, 8 rushing TD’s, and 30 receptions. Game after game, last season, Grant displayed big play capability every time he touched the ball. Yet last season, Grant had two things going for him that he will not have this year. Firstly, Grant was an unknown, not a guy for defenses to be concerned with, or so they thought. This is no longer true. Everyone has now had a chance to study Grant and it is a guarantee that he will be something that opposing defenses keep a very close eye on. Grant’s success last season also has to be attributed to Brett Favre and the Packers’ aerial attack. With as big a threat as Favre posed, it would be a fool’s move to stack the box against the run. This year, however, one has to wonder if, with Aaron Rodgers under center, the mindset of the Packers hasn’t changed. Will they become a run first team? Will defenses be aware of this possibility? This may work, both for and against, Grant and while it is unlikely that we shall see another plethora of 30 plus yard runs, we also shouldn’t see games where Grant is receiving less than 15 touches again. Certainly it is difficult for me to fathom Grant being worthy of a first round pick, however, I do think as a late second, early third rounder, Grant would be a solid choice.

Brian Westbrook never seems to go as high as he should, good for the guy picking sixth, horrendous for the guy who landed third. Westbrook really fell into his groove during the 2006 season when he rushed for 1200 yards, seven touchdowns, and hauled in 77 receptions. Last season Westbrook only added to this with 1300 yards, seven touchdowns and 90 receptions. Really, I don’t know how to make this anymore clear, in a PPR league, BRIAN WESTBROOK IS A TOP THREE PICK, easily. Last season, in the ultra-competitive Sport’s Outlaw fantasy league, Hired Guns, Westbrook was the leading running back, knocking off LT by 10 points and 3rd place Adrian Peterson by 90. And I’ve been there, I’ve seen the faces, you’re drafting from a middle position, guys like LT, Steven Jackson, AP, they’re all gone. Addai is off the board, maybe someone reached on Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, this year maybe someone reaches on Randy Moss. You’re pick is coming up but you’re torn. Westbrook? Portis? FWP? You’re worried, even frustrated by your lack of luck to snag a higher draft position. Yet, I beg of you, pull the trigger! Not only will you have found yourself with one of the best backs in the league, but those that did pick before you will be kicking themselves all season long. BRIAN WESTBROOK IS A TOP THREE PICK!

Chester Taylor is a RB3 (RB2 if you’re really hurting) who I feel will often be overlooked. Despite playing second fiddle to Adrian Peterson, Taylor still managed 844 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 29 receptions. And while, when given the opportunity to prove himself as a feature back in 2006, he was able to rake in an impressive 1216 yards, Taylor once again finds himself as a change-of-pace runner, a role that he is more than used to, more than comfortable with. Don’t expect amazing numbers from Taylor this year either as the story in Minnesota is truly all about Peterson, yet I don’t think another 800 yard season is out of the question for this Rocket. And certainly, one might not be ill-advised to factor in the injury risk factor of Adrian Peterson, if not to back up your second year superstar then to add negotiating power against the guy who needs to.

I feel that this season Jamal Lewis, Michael Turner, Clinton Portis, Marion Barber and MJD all deserve special consideration towards the top ranks of your draft board, and, as each of these athletes are the focal points of active threads throughout the SO message boards, I invite you to join the discussions and formulate your own conclusion.
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Marshawn Lynch should be taken midway through the second round, no questions. With 1100 yards and 7 touchdowns in his rookie season, Lynch demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with and could easily give your fantasy team the boost it needs.

Perhaps one of the best sleeper picks this year will be Ronnie Brown, who, while only seeing less than half the season, still put up fantasy numbers that rivaled Willie Parker, Thomas Jones, and Brandon Jacobs. From a strictly fantasy point of view, last year’s injury to Brown may have been the best thing to happen to him since it is an almost guarantee that, for a lot of people, he will have fallen off the fantasy football map. Add on the fact that people are still going to be weary of the overall lack of ability that is the Miami Dolphins football team, and you should be able to get good points out of Brown for a cheap pick.

Guys who I am weary of would be Carnell Williams, Edgerrin James, Reggie Bush, and Fred Taylor. Williams has spent his career plagued by injuries and finally someone took advantage of that. Earnest Graham really stepped up last season and now Tampa, provided Williams stays healthy, is looking at a very solid RBBC situation. Good for the Bucs, bad for fantasy owners. James is on his way out, not only is it time that he faced that, its time that these fantasy owners who are still taking him in the second faced it. There are much better options out there, pass on James. I’ve not bought into the Reggie Bush hype and I’m not going to. In his two years of playing, he holds less yardage than what most backs are compiling within a year. Bush does, however, have great hands, 161 receptions in two years, which, in PPR leagues, does make him a decent option, but certainly not the first round that he has so often been taken in. My concern with Taylor stems from the fact that he finally did make his Pro Bowl. I think this year we will see much more of MJD and much less of Taylor, which is not to say that Taylor won’t be looking at respectable yardage, but I do feel that the Jaguars are going to start saying goodbye, so should fantasy owners.

Next week I shall put out the third installment of the WESTern Perspective’s Draft Special featuring your future receiving core. Until then, and as always, comments and feedback are not only welcomed but encouraged. ]]> dannywest http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/western-perspective-draft-special-part-2-98/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/western-perspective-draft-special-part-1-97/ Sun, 25 May 2008 14:34:50 GMT *May 25, 2008* *Version 2.1* Ladies and gentlemen, with football season fast approaching and the forums filling up with new members it is time for... May 25, 2008
Version 2.1

Ladies and gentlemen, with football season fast approaching and the forums filling up with new members it is time for the reemergence of The WESTern Perspective.

For those of you who didn’t catch any of my articles last season (feel free to search the archives for them) The WESTern Perspective is not your ordinary run of the mill fantasy article, in fact, what I bring you here no one else is attempting to do. I do not list a large group of QB’s, RB’s, WR’s, and TE’s that demand a starting spot on your roster; I do not analyze players that everyone else is analyzing; and guys like Brady and LT are a taboo topic for me (let’s face it, there are certain players that should never be benched, we all know who they are thus in no way is it helpful to anyone to talk about these guys). What I do, however, is answer the questions that you need answered. You come to fantasy football sites because you’re stuck, you have a couple of options that you could go with, a couple question marks, and, really, you don’t know what to do. That’s, hopefully, where I’ll come in.

Every week I will spotlight one struggling player, breakdown what difficulties he has had, review his upcoming matchups, and then determine if he should play or ride the pine.

This is all well and good, however, it’s late May and there are no players for me to analyze at the moment, so you may be asking just what am I doing here?

Before you can determine what players to sit and start, you first must have players to sit and start. Thus, I am bringing you The WESTern Perspective Draft Special, a four part blog in which we will look at the players from each position to build you the best team possible. So without further ado…

The Quarterbacks
Perhaps the most important position in football is that of the QB, however, in fantasy football the QB position is an after thought, something to be grabbed after your standard two runningbacks and wideout. But times are changing my friends, and instead of drafting for a certain position I want to draft the best player on the board, regardless of where they play on the football field, and I genuinely believe that that is going to get you your best team.

It’s no secret, Brady and Manning are going first. Palmer and Brees will probably go next. But then what do you do? Big Ben, Romo, Hasselbeck?

How about Derek Anderson? Last season this guy threw for 29 TD’s and 3787 yards. He has weapons with names like Edwards, Winslow and Stallworth. And let’s face it, Cleveland’s line is damned good. Last year was the preview, the fact is that this kid is the real deal and he is a guy that I want on my roster. The 3rd QB off the board should be Derek Anderson, no question. Do not hesitate to make that call, you can thank me for it later.

Another guy who seems to slip the minds of fantasy owners is Jay Cutler. Cutler’s young, sure, and he makes the mistakes that you would expect from a young guy. However, he’s coming off of a 20 TD year into his third season with one spectacular receiver running routes for him. Cutler will have an impressive year in 2008, and the team that has the insight to draft him will be looking good.

Jason Campbell is another guy who really impresses me. The biggest thing going for Campbell in 2008 is head coach Jim Zorn. Zorn has spent the past seven years as the Seahawks’ quarterback coach, literally shaping the career of Matt Hasselbeck and playing an instrumental part in Seattle’s past five playoff appearances and a Superbowl. Zorn is a guy who can bring out the absolute best in any quarterback, with success shown in Seneca Wallace and Charlie Batch also. With Zorn’s assistance, Campbell will easily emerge as one of the most consistent QB’s in the league and finally start living up to all that Doug Williams comparison.

Eli Manning proved towards the end of last season that he is a legitimate threat under center and well worthy of a spot on most any fantasy roster. The debate continues as to what was holding him back, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey? But the fact is that Eli took over the Giants and his game alike and I would expect to see no less from him during the 2008 campaign.

David Garrard and Jon Kitna are both semisleeper picks who always have a lot of promise and decent performances. While these guys may not be high on your draft board, they definitely should not be overlooked.

Likewise, there are several guys who I think we as fantasy owners should be weary of this year. Jeff Garcia, Vince Young, Matt Schuab, and Damon Huard all had some promising performances in the 2007 season yet I feel that none of these guys are worth the risk.

With so much forgotten talent at the QB position, it is difficult to go wrong here. Keep an eye on the aforementioned players and when it comes time in your draft to select a quarterback, pull the trigger on any of these athletes, you will not regret it.

In the following weeks, The WESTern Perspective’s Draft Special will continue with select RB’s, WR’s and TE’s. Stay tuned.

And as always, feedback (both positive and negative) is always welcome, along with any other comments that you may have.

-Danny West
]]> dannywest http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/western-perspective-draft-special-part-1-97/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/sgt_john/step-2-scratch-96/ Thu, 15 May 2008 07:49:28 GMT $900 check in the mail. Should provide more than enough funds for decent seats at Wrestlemania 25. On a personal note, Im hoping Santino Marella is... $900 check in the mail. Should provide more than enough funds for decent seats at Wrestlemania 25.

On a personal note, Im hoping Santino Marella is no longer with the company by the time this rolls around. ]]> Sgt_John http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/sgt_john/step-2-scratch-96/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/good-bye-mcgahee-hello-mr-lynch-95/ Mon, 12 May 2008 16:53:17 GMT Buffalo Bills RB Marshawn Lynch, the right man for the job. Many were shocked when Bills RB Willis McGahee was shipped to the Ravens and Lynch was... Buffalo Bills RB Marshawn Lynch, the right man for the job. Many were shocked when Bills RB Willis McGahee was shipped to the Ravens and Lynch was drafted. McGahee had done a good job the move was considered superfluous, unnecessary. Lynch has had a great rookie year and most concerns were dropped. But let's look a little closer at why this move was so very beneficial for the Bills offense. This won't be about fantasy value, these two backs are pretty close in fantasy value. That will probably be addressed later on here at Sports Outlaw when Miller_Time starts up his "Close Calls" series.

Of course, most of us look at football with fantasy football slant and that is a stat oriented view point. I love stats and study them furiously as we all do. It is an integral part of what we do as Fantasy Football Owners. I spend a lot of time gathering news for the site as most of you know. It is a lot of work but I come across a lot of info. Between that and stat crunching I usually have an unwritten cheetsheet floating in my head that gets modified by the info I absorb searching for the news. Get a life, Norm.
Did you hear something?When I am not crunching stats and gathering news I like to relax by looking and thinking about football in the pure sense of enjoying the game as it is actually played on the field. Xs and Os, playcalling, analyzing what is happening on the field, thinking about what they should be doing instead. Enjoying the game.

This will be more of an analysis of the player and his real football impact on his team. The move to get Lynch was critical to the Bills in a real football sense. Lynch is and will be a much better fit for the bills in the future. This already started to occur last year but wasn't noticed much because of the whole passing game of the Bills last year was still in disarray, more on that coming. So let's analyze a little closer. About time, type much?
Did you hear something? I like YPC (yards per carry) as much as the next guy. But I really like to break down individual carries and look for patterns. This gives a better look at how the running game is impacting the game. McGahee with the Bills was more of a little pop, little pop, big pop style of runner. Lynch would have a steadier pattern of carries. It is more a matter of style of production over actual stats. Let's remember that the Bills passing game has been erratic for quite a while. Could be changing this year, more on that in the next blog.

After The Bills received a punt or a kickoff back on your own 15-20 the two backs had patterns that compared like this.

McGahee had a run pattern with the Bills that looked more like this.
3,2,2,9,1,3
Lynch has a pattern that is more like this.
3,2,5,3,5,2

Both have 20 yards Both had a lame passing game. Now consider the battle for field position. This is one of the most critical things that occur during a football game. You receive a punt it is crucial to get at last one first down. If you 3 and out you kick it back chances are the other team starts their next drive much closer than their last drive. If you get at least one first down then the exchange of kicks is pretty even as far as field position goes.

With McGahee in the backfield the results are not as good. A 2,2 set of carries or even a 1,3 means chances are you are 3 and out punting 2 out of 3 possessions. Now, In McGahees' defense is just an observation of a pattern after just getting the ball. There is no pattern that stays the same through the flow of the game. The series that he pops the 9 yard carry will change the pattern dramatically. You now have a firstdown, out of the hole and the D is a little less comfortable. As he continues to run now one of his threes changes to say a 7 and now he is clicking well.

Lynches' pattern has less drama but is much more likely to move the chains in the critical first series of a drive. Chances are The Bills will get a first down every 2 out of 3 first series of a possession exchange or at least every other one. This is the reason that Lynch was a much better fit than McGahee was. This getting out of the hole more often in the battle of field position last year was one big reason the Bills improved to 7-9 and finished second in the division last year.

"I anticipate him being in on third down a lot more," new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert said of Lynch, the Bills' official site reports. "He's had a year, he understands the protections now and I think this year he'll be an integral part of our third down package."

If the Bills passing game improves as much as I suspect Lynch may have some nice upside, still. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/good-bye-mcgahee-hello-mr-lynch-95/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/sgt_john/road-wrestlemania-25-94/ Sat, 10 May 2008 21:52:43 GMT I thought Id start this and detail my journey with my little outlaw to Wrestlemania 25 in Houston, Texas. Step 1: Heard my Government stimulus... I thought Id start this and detail my journey with my little outlaw to Wrestlemania 25 in Houston, Texas.

Step 1: Heard my Government stimulus check is in the mail. The Federal Governement paying for me to go to Wrestlemania is almost......well...its awesome. ]]> Sgt_John http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/sgt_john/road-wrestlemania-25-94/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/redskins-rb-ladell-betts-offseason-90/ Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:00:41 GMT *Redskins RB Ladell Betts. *Betts has been an interesting Fantasy story. In 05 he was a typical backup. 100 touches with a couple of TDs. Then came... Redskins RB Ladell Betts.
Betts has been an interesting Fantasy story. In 05 he was a typical backup. 100 touches with a couple of TDs. Then came th 06 season and Portis was injury plagued. Betts started 9 games in 06 and became an instant fantasy hero that year. He had almost 300 touches, 1600 yards and 5TDs. He was one of those guys that you drafted late or picked up on the Waiver Wire. He was one of those guys that saved your injury plagued butts or helped push you over the top that year. But now in 07 Portis was healthy and productive all year and Betts became that 100 or so touch backup with a couple of TDs again.

Now we have Jim Zorn in command of the Redskins. Early reports say that Zorn really likes Clinton Portis' pass catching ability. It is said that Betts may lose some action as a 3rd down back. Sounds like Betts may end up being more of a traditional backup. You can probably take last years stats and subtract 10 catches and add 10 carries.

While, that doesn't sound to encouraging he probably still should be on your early picking list for true Backup RBs.

Now the is one type of league where he may vault in value. In leagues that give points for Kick Return Yardage he should become a decent starter in a pinch. With Free Agent Rock Cartwright probably gone it sounds like the Redskins plan on using Betts on special teams returning kicks. EC, are you listening? ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/redskins-rb-ladell-betts-offseason-90/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/lemmer/mock-draft-1-24-08-88/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:56:18 GMT 1. Miami - Chris Long - DE Long is a great pick here with the phins running a 3-4 scheme. Long will continue to be a dominate force as he was in... 1. Miami - Chris Long - DE
Long is a great pick here with the phins running a 3-4 scheme. Long will continue to be a dominate force as he was in college.

2. St. Louis- Glenn Dorsey- DT
Dorsey is a beast in the inside, and this pick will allow the rams to move last year #1 pick Carriker back to a DE

3. Altanta- Darin McFadden - RB
With the aging Dunn (who number were under 1000 total yards for first time in his career) and with Norwood still not proving that he can be a solid #1, Altanta make McFadden the new face of the team.

4. Oakland - Sedrick Ellis - DT
Since McFadden is off the board with the previous pick, the Raiders reach a little here and take Sapp replacement in Ellis

5. Kansas City - Jake Long - OT
The Chief finally fix the void that was left with the retirement of Roaf a few year ago.

6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston - DE
The Jets are in dire need for a pass rush, and Gholston will supply that either as a down linemen or outside linebacker

7. New England - Mike Jenkins - CB
With Samual and Gay more than like out the door this offseason as FA, Pats take Jenkins to start beside Hobbs

8. Baltimore - Matt Ryan - QB
New head coach needs a new frachise QB

9. Cincinnati - Keith Rivers - LB
The Bengals front seven was awful, anything of the three spots could be strengthen, Rivers would be able to start on the weak side, day one.

10. New Orleans - Kenny Phillips - S
11 Buffalo - Desean Jackson - WR
12 Denver - Ryan Clady - OT
13 Carolina - Jeff Otah - OT
14 Chicago - Brian Brohm- QB
15 Detroit - Calais Campbell -DE
16 Arizona - Agib Talib - CB
17 Minnesota - Derrick Harvey -DE
18 Houston- James Stewart -RB
19 Philidelpha - Limas Sweed- WR
20 Tampa Bay - Adarius Bowman - WR
21 Washington - Dan Connor - LB
22 Dallas - Reggie Smith - CB
23 Pittsburg - Sam Baker - OT
24 Tennesse - Early Doucet - WR
25 Seattle - Fred Davis - TE
26 Jacksonville - Kentwan Balmer - DT
27 San Diego - Rashard Mendenhall -RB
28 Dallas - Felix Jones - RB
29 San Franciso - James Hardy - WR
30 Green Bay - Antoine Cason - CB
31 New York Giants - Adibi Xavier - LB ]]> lemmer http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/lemmer/mock-draft-1-24-08-88/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/bucs-running-game-early-offseason-look-87/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:50:55 GMT I was just reading more speculation in the St. Petersburg times that *RB Caddilac Williams* may not be able to contribute to the Bucs Running Game... I was just reading more speculation in the St. Petersburg times that RB Caddilac Williams may not be able to contribute to the Bucs Running Game next season. This has been coming up on and off all season long due to the severe nature of Caddies torn patellar tendon injury. Of course, we have a long off season of Caddies rehab, which has already started. This rehab may yet reveal more or less optimism as it goes on, only time will tell. But, I would think from what I have heard that Caddy is likely to start off training Camp and maybe the season on the PUP list.

RB Earnest Graham has played admirably filling the Caddy void. Graham performed at a high real football level as well as a high Fantasy level. The Bucs are looking to sign him to a contract extension even though he is still under contract through next year. The urgency and size of the extension may give us a further clue as to caddies status.

RB Michael Pittman is a free agent and is expected to test the FA market. I suspect he may end up with the Bucs again with a contract extension. Pittman will test the FA market just to make sure the Bucs don't low ball him.

When it comes to Caddy and Graham in a keeper situation you will have to keep a sharp eye out for offseason info. You may have one or both, at this time I would rather have Graham.

It should be interesting to watch the Bucs draft. They should go for a RB but will it be a day one or a day two pick? A lot of variables at this point, keep your ear to the ground. ]]> Coachnorm http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/coachnorm/bucs-running-game-early-offseason-look-87/ http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/2007-review-western-perspective-86/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 14:16:42 GMT Version 1.4

Since I was a kid, all I've ever wanted to do was write, so when Mike offered me the chance to put out some fantasy articles this season, I jumped at the chance.

There was just one problem, what the hell should I write about?

My first idea was to write a weekly article about an athlete that came out of no where to have an incredible fantasy performance. But the truth is, not only was this boring for me to write, it was probably just as boring to read. Not to mention that the point of these articles are to help other fantasy players and I just couldn't see how telling someone what they already know happened last week was helpful at all. After 2 weeks I terminated the article, all in all, it was a bad idea.

My second idea was to write about players that had burned me week in and week out, which, I soon realized was in no way helpful to anyone, not even to me and after just one posting, I scrapped that idea too.

Meanwhile, I continued to post to my blog, Pewter Pants, which, not to toot my own horn too much, is a pretty insightful look at the Buccaneers organization. In fact, there was one week that I posted an article entitled The NFC South leading Bucs in which I touched on the year that Jeff Garcia, Earnest Graham, Joey Galloway, and others were having, just to watch the same topics covered on the Fox Pregame Show hours later. And while I understand that certainly not everyone is a Bucs fan, I feel it is the obligation of fans to talk about the teams that we each support, otherwise all we would hear about is the Patriots, the Cowboys, the Packers and a runningback out of Minnesota. Everyone else would be quickly forgotten.

And while my writings of Tampa Bay came quick and easy, I still struggled to find a fantasy article that I felt people would appreciate. So, instead, while my fellow Outlaws put up fantastic articles (Da Bomb's Start 'em/Sit 'em; Millertime's Weekly Waiver Wire Moves; Mike's Cheatsheets; The Ram's 1st Down or 4th and Forever) I searched the new posts weekly and replied to the commonly asked "this guy or that guy" questions. And it was while I was responding to these threads that I noticed that there were certain guys, week after week, that fantasy owners were constantly questioning whether or no to start, and often, these were the same players that I was questioning whether or not to start (with 6 leagues, it is difficult to find a player that I don't have).

And that was it, wasn't it? It wasn't so much that I needed to find a fantasy angle that no one had yet touched, but I had to find one that the people of this site wanted, needed. Thus, I came up with A Fantasy Perspective, a weekly article in which I would zero in on one player who had struggled throughout the year and analyze that player's upcoming matchups and determine whether or not that player should be in your lineup or not. It would be answer the same questions posted throughout the message board, just the answer, this time, would come before the question.

First came Jamal Lewis, who I said play and he did well. Then Steve Smith, same result. Then Rudi Johnson and again, my advice was spot on.

The point being that A Fantasy Perspective was the article that I had been waiting all season to write. And while I fear that I waited too long into the season for this article to carry any real weight (after all, this is the 4th and last version of it for the 2007 season), it is my hope that next year it will be a favorite amongst our veteran members and newcomers alike.

So, with the 2007 fantasy season just one game away from its finish, I would like to take time to thank anyone that has ever read this article, and to thank anyone that has trusted my advice.

A Fantasy Perspectice will be back next season, and, quite frankly, I can't wait.

-Danny West
Dec. 24th, 2007 ]]> dannywest http://www.sofantasyfootball.com/nfl/blogs/dannywest/2007-review-western-perspective-86/