My Ramblings and Rumblings

June 25th top 200 Fantasy Rankings

2012-06-25T12:34:00.002-04:00

1. Arian Foster, RB, Hou
2. Ray Rice, RB, Bal
3. LeSean McCoy, RB, Phi
4. Calvin Johnson, WR, Det
5. Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB
6. Ryan Mathews, RB, SD
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Ten
8. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jax
9. Tom Brady, QB, NE
10. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Ari
11. Cam Newton, QB, Car
12. Darren McFadden, RB, Oak
13. Andre Johnson, WR, Hou
14. Adrian Peterson, RB, Min-The injury doesn't scare me enough to drop him too far
15. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Sea
16. Matt Forte, RB, Chi
17. Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE
18. Wes Welker, WR, NE
19. Greg Jennings, WR, GB
20. Matt Stafford, QB, Det
21. Steven Jackson, RB, STL
22. Jimmy Graham, TE, NO
23. Drew Brees, QB, NO
24. Steve Smith, WR, Car
25. Roddy White, WR, Atl
26. AJ Green, WR, Cin
27. Jamaal Charles, RB, KC
28. Michael Vick, QB, Phi
29. DeMarco Murray, RB, Dal
30. Dez Bryant, WR, Dal
31. Darren Sproles, RB, NO
32. Frank Gore, RB, SF
33. Julio Jones, WR, Atl
34. Jordy Nelson, WR, GB
35. Mike Wallace, WR, Pit
36. Trent Richardson, RB, Cle
37. Michael Turner, RB, Atl
38. Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC
39. Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG
40. Victor Cruz, WR, NYG
41. Brandon Marshall, WR, Chi
42. Marques Colston, WR, NO
43. Miles Austin, WR, Dal
44. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG
45. Willis McGahee, RB, Den
46. Tony Romo, QB, Dal
47. Brandon Lloyd, WR, NE
48. Matt Ryan, QB, Atl
49. Roy Helu, RB, Was
50. Fred Jackson, RB, Buf
51. Reggie Bush, RB, Mia
52. Shonn Greene, RB, NYJ
53. Steve Johnson, WR, Buf
54. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Phi
55. Desean Jackson, WR, Phi
56. Eli Manning, QB, NYG
57. Antonio Gates, TE, SD
58. Kenny Britt, WR, Ten
59. DeMaryius Thomas, WR, Den
60. CJ Spiller, RB, Buf
61. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Car
62. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Car
63. Doug Martin, RB, TB
64. Donald Brown, RB, Ind
65. Matt Schaub, QB, Hou
66. Phillip Rivers, QB, SD
67. Percy Harvin, WR, Min
68. Vernon Davis, TE, SF
69. Isaac Redman, RB, Pit
70. Jason Witten, TE, Dal
71. Vincent Jackson, WR, TB
72. Beanie Wells, RB, Ari
73. JerMichael Finley, TE, GB
74. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pit
75. Jahvid Best, RB, Det
76. Benjarvus Green-Ellis, RB, Cin
77. Peyton Manning, QB, Ind
78. Antonio Brown, WR, Pit
79. Mark Ingram, RB, NO
80. James Starks, RB, GB
81. Tony Gonzalez, TE, Atl
82. Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Det
83. Jay Cutler, QB, Chi
84. Michael Bush, RB, Chi
85. Ben Tate, RB, Hou
86. Aaron Hernandez, TE, NE
87. Stevan Ridley, RB, NE
88. Torrey Smith, WR, Bal
89. Anquan Bolden, WR, Bal
90. Toby Gerhart, RB, Min
91. Santana Moss, WR, Was
92. Jared Cook, TE, Ten
93. Robert Meachem, WR, SD
94. Eric Decker, WR, Den
95. Peyton Hillis, RB, KC
96. Fred Davis, TE, Was
97. LaGarette Blount, RB, TB
98. San Francisco Def, D/ST, SF
99. Reggie Wayne, WR, Ind
100. Denarius Moore, WR, Oak

Can it get any worse?

2011-04-08T11:38:00.001-04:00

Just over a week ago, I said the Boston Red Sox would be the World Series Champions. Wow, what a difference a week makes. Boston is now 0-6 and along with the Rays are one of only two winless teams remaining in baseball. Where have they gone wrong?

That has an easy answer…EVERYWHERE. Their big offseason acquisitions (Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford) have gone a combined 11 for 46 (.239), with 1 homerun, 6 runs driven in and scored 4 runs, and the sad part is, Adrian Gonzalez is hitting better than anyone else on the team as he is the only player on the team batting over .240. In the preseason there was talk of this loaded lineup with former MVP Dustin Pedroia, five-tool superstar Carl Crawford, the aforementioned power bat of Gonzalez, speed-demon Jacob Ellsbury, and the rest of the group scoring 1000+ runs. They might have trouble getting to 500 runs at their current pace as they’ve plated only six in the last four games, and three of those against an Indians team that allowed 24 runs in a three game set against the White Sox. The offense is not just bad right now, they rank 28^th in all of baseball in runs scored (16), 29^th in team batting average (.181), 28^th in On base percentage (.269), 29^th in Slugging (.275), 29^th in Total Bases (53), 29^th in Extra Base Hits (10), and have no sacrifices, flys or bunts. To put it bluntly, the offense has yet to hit or manufacture runs.

Ok, you cannot hit right now, what about the pitching? They don’t have that either right now. Jon Lester has lived up to expectation (3.65 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2.25:1 strikeout to walk ratio), it’s the rest of the staff that has performed below expectations. Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and John Lackey have been very bad, combining to give up 19 runs in 20 innings for a 8.55 ERA and have nearly as many walks as strikeouts 12:11. Thing do not get much better in the bullpen with a combined 7.88 ERA and two loss. In all, the Red Sox pitching staff is 30^th in ERA (7.13), 29^th in Quality Starts (1), 30^th in innings pitched (48, they’ve been so bad that no team has had to bat against them in the 9^th to lockup the game), 30^th in Slugging percentage against (.646, next worse is .519), and 30^th in Home Runs allowed (14).

To put this simple, Boston has been the worst team in baseball through the first week of the season. That is the beauty of baseball though, their 0-6 start accounts for 1/27^th of their season, it’s the equivalent of an NFL team getting beaten in their 1^st half of football in the first game of the season. It is a small sample size for a marathon of a season. Red Sox Nation is not happy, the Sox themselves are not happy, but the ship can be righted this weekend when they open Fenway for the season with the rival Yankees coming to down. I know that no team has started 0-6 and won the World Series, but keep in mind, no team had been down 0-3 in a playoff series and came back and won. Do not be surprised to see the Sox wake up and put a beating on the Yanks this weekend. I’m sticking with my guns, they are the most talented team in baseball, it is only a matter of time before we see it on the field.

Baseball is here, at last

2011-03-31T10:13:00.005-04:00

The first pitch of the 2011 MLB Season will be thrown in a little over three hours; at least that is the plan. Rain and 40 degree weather are forecasted in Washington and New York and threaten to delay the start of the season and even further north Boston has the threat of a snow covered field, luckily they play in Texas on Friday. Opening Day is supposed to mark the beginning of spring with sun and enjoyable temperatures, not rain and winter-type highs.

But baseball does bring something more than the promise of better weather, it brings a renewed sense of hope for 30 clubs in 27 cities for millions of fans, but it also mimics the optimism for America as a whole. America has been at war, been through recessions and depressions, seen economic highs, and the free thinking of the sixties and the one constant has always been baseball (sorry if I’m “borrowing” from Field of Dreams, but it is true). Now, baseball is recovering from the black eye that is the steroid era and most of the players affiliated or under suspicion are at the back end of their careers or have already faded away and a new crop of young stars are making headlines for the right reason. The defending World Series Champion New York Giants were a rag tag group of overachievers led by the youthful pitching of Tim Lincecum (26), Brian Wilson (28), Matt Cain (26), and Jonathan Sanchez (28). This team of journeyman and inexperienced youth accomplished something that did not happen in the 15 years with Barry Bonds as the face of the franchise.

With the changing of the guard, is there a team that could come out of nowhere to win the World Series? Look no further than 15 miles East where the Athletics have built a team with a good young rotation, a dominant closer, and an underestimated lineup with some power thanks to the additions of Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham. Or a little more obvious is in the Giants’ division, the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are coming off of back to back winning seasons and have been in the playoffs 2 or the last 4 seasons and have a scary good lineup and the kind of arms that can win you a series or two in October.

Enough of the questions, here is what I know, the Phillies scare me, too many injuries early, too many questions in the bullpen, and too many of their big hitters had down years last season, is this just an exception or is it due to age catching up with Rollins, Utley, and Howard? They are the team to beat in the NL on paper, but I just do not see it happening. In the American League, it’s the Red Sox, pure and simple. They have the best offense in baseball, a deep rotation, and while they do have some questions at the back end of the bullpen but I just think they can more than make up for that shortcoming. What is my World Series prediction? Boston taking on the aforementioned Rockies. For my full predictions, just look below.

MLB Playoffs

Divisional Series

Boston over Texas*

Oakland over Detroit

Colorado over Philadelphia*

Atlanta over Milwaukee

League Championship Series

Boston over Oakland

Colorado over Atlanta

World Series

Boston over Colorado

*-Wild Card Winner

2/9 Fantasy Football Rankings, Top 25

2011-02-10T18:47:00.002-05:00

Once again, working from 25 to 1. Numbers in parenthesis are last month's ranking.

25(NR). Antonio Gates, TE, SD-When healthy last season put up numbers that equalled that of the top wide receivers in the NFL. In just 10 games in 2010 he put up 50 catches, over 750 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Averaged over a full season, the result would have been 80 catches, 1200 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Clearly the top tight end

24(24). Phillip Rivers, QB, SD-The man throwing to Gates stays at 24. Primed for a very big 2011.

23(NR). Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NYG-Overlooked in my previous ranking, set career highs in 2010 in carries (276), rushing yards (1275), and touchdowns (8). Fumbling could prove costly given Tom Coughlin's past.

22(NR). Ryan Matthews, RB, SD-Had a rocky rookie season, but showed life toward the end of the year, scoring five touchdowns in the final touchdowns in the final four weeks while rushing for a tad under 300 yards. Given his receiving ability could put up 1200-1500 total yards in 2011.

21(19). Tom Brady, QB, NE-Brady remains one of the top QB options and doesn't move much since last ranking.

20(21). Darren McFadden, RB, Oak-Stays steady as he should be the number one option in Oakland and if he can follow up his big 2010 season could eclipse his 2010 numbers

19(22). Greg Jennings, WR, GB-Top receiver for the league's top fantasy QB. With Driver's age Jennings could see a few more targets.

18(18). Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG-Remains in the same spot since January, huge redzone target and as long as healthy should be among top scoring receivers

17(17). Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC-Based off his huge 2010 he has become the focal point of the Chief's passing game

16(15). Calvin Johnson, WR, Det-Finished among the receiving leaders in 2010, if Stafford is healthy in 2011 he could be the top scoring fantasy receiver.

15(9). Reggie Wayne, WR, Ind-His drop from last season is due to more of an evaluation on my part than anything he has done. I expect Wayne's targets and touchdowns to drop with a healthy Dallas Clark, a matured Pierre Garcon, and possibly a healthy Austin Collie. Still a top receiver but falls short of the lofty numbers I expect from Andre Johnson and Roddy White.

14(12). Frank Gore, RB, SF-Dropped a little due to injury history. I can't spend a first round pick on someone I don't trust to stay healthy. I think Jim Harbaugh can get him more involved, but the injuries are definitely a concern.

13(14). Ray Rice, RB, Bal-Stays as a borderline first rounder, a little drop from last season but Rice isn't enough of a touchdown threat for my liking.

12(4). Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jax-Biggest drop for me due to the knee injury. Reports show that he has no cartilage in his injured knee. That screams to me that he may be nearing the end in terms of being an elite fantasy talent. He may be capable of huge numbers, but I don't trust him right now without seeing him in preseason.

11(16). Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB-Rodgers was good in the regular season, but what he did in the playoff with a running game was nothing short of astounding. Could be a 35 TD, 4000+ guy that also rushes for 300-400 yards and scores 5+ rushing touchdowns. Is now the elite fantasy QB.

10(13). Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pit-Has become the focal point of the Pittsburgh offense. No reason he can't put up 1200+ yards and double digit touchdowns year in, year out. Is a first rounder in all formats for me.

9(11). LeSean McCoy, RB, Phi-In the same boat as Mendy but is a slightly better receiving option. Depending on the quarterback situation in Philadelphia he is fully capable of being a top 5 fantasy running back.

8(10). Andre Johnson, WR, Hou-Has been one of the top receivers in football for 5 or so years now and remains a first rounder for me.

7(8). Roddy White, WR, Atl-Became the elite guy among fantasy receivers and will probably stay there for me throughout the entire offseason.

6(6). Steven Jackson, RB, STL-With Bradford at QB he is an elite fantasy back. Injuries are a slight concern but he has missed just one game last two seasons.

5(7). Michael Turner, RB, Atl-Had a great bounce back season in 2010 and should be a high draft pick in 2011.

4(2). Chris Johnson, RB, Ten-Dropped from the two spot for me. Coaching will be a question and as of now no QB does not spell a successful fantasy season. He has great talent but I expect his numbers to fall, I'm not sure how dramatic that fall will be.

3(5). Jamaal Charles, RB, KC-Keeps moving up my list. The man put up 6.3 YPC last season and over 1400 rushing yards in a time share. No one seems to recall how he tallied over 1400 total yards in 2009 and had 5.9 rushing yards. He could have a Chris Johnson 2009 type season. Possibly the top option in PPR leagues. Lack of touchdowns is a bit concerning.

2(3). Arian Foster, RB, Hou-I don't fully trust him and Ben Tate will probably get some carries but its hard to ignore 2220 total yards and 18 touchdowns although the man also had over 390 touches last season.

1(1). Adrian Peterson, RB, Min-Has proven it doesn't matter what his QB does or who the coach is he performs. The safest pick in the fantasy world.

There you go, the following guys dropped off my top 25

Peyton Manning (20)-The collection of top QBs makes grabbing one too early foolish
Vincent Jackson (23)-I feel I had him overvalued in the first ranking
Drew Brees (25)-See Peyton Manning, the interceptions scare me

Pass Aaron Pass

2011-02-07T19:46:00.002-05:00

You’ve heard the old saying about how to win football games, “you have to run the ball and be able to stop the run”. By that logic, the wrong team lost the Super Bowl. Green Bay ran the ball a meager 13 times; two of those were kneel downs by Aaron Rodgers, in all, the Packers gained 50 yards on the ground. In contrast, the Steelers ran the ball 23 times for 126 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. If I were to tell you prior to the game that Pittsburgh will more than double the Packers rushing yards, nearly double their total carries, run one less passing play, and tally three times as many sacks, who would your money have been put on?

Football is an ever-evolving sport, it started with the inclusion of the forward pass, then the likes of Johnny Unitas further enforced the importance of a quarterback’s ability to pass. Dan Fouts took it to new heights and was quickly followed by Dan Marino lighting up the scoreboard and rewriting the record books. Quarterbacks were putting up bigger and bigger numbers, but the Lombardi trophies weren’t coming with them. Peyton Manning’s record breaking 2004 season didn’t end with a Super Bowl title and Tom Brady’s 50 touchdown 2007 season ended with a loss to the New York Giants and their two man running attack. With the last two Super Bowls, it appears that we are firmly entrenched in the “Year(s) of the quarterbacks”

The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV despite only running ball 18 times for 51 yards while allowing 99 yards on 19 carries. Super Bowl XLIII, the victorious Pittsburgh Steelers managed just 58 yards on 2.3 yard per carry average. That means over the last three Super Bowls, the winning team has had 159 rushing yards on 56 carries. In contrast, Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL rushed 33 times for 181 yards and Indianapolis in XLI rushed 42 times for 191 yards. Of the first 41 Super Bowls, the winning team rushed for 100+ yards in 37 of them, but it hasn’t happened since the Colts in 2007.

Change is definitely upon us and those old sayings are just that, old and outdated.

On a side note, I don’t see any way the owners and NFLPA do not come to an agreement for the CBA. The Super Bowl garnered more viewings worldwide than any event on television, ever. There is too much money at risk here for them not to come to an agreement. I sure hope they do, the last few Super Bowls have been great television, from Roethlisberger’s stalled two minute drill, Tracy Porter sealing the win for the Saints with the pick-6, Kurt Warner and Big Ben gun slinging into the closing seconds of XLIII, to David Tyree’s impossible catch and Eli’s game winner in the closing seconds, and Peyton Manning finally grabbing his Championship. Football has become the greatest spectacle in American sports and I can’t see someone no making a concession on order to maintain their loft atop the sports’ world.

Forget Lions and Bears, the Tigers are scary

2011-02-03T20:00:00.002-05:00

National Signing Day has come and gone and the winners and losers have been labeled. One team in particular stood out to me, and while they were somewhat overlooked by many media outlets, the Clemson Tigers come out smelling like roses.

It was impressive enough that according to Rivals.com that they grabbed four five star players, but three of those youngsters came out of the state of Florida. Talent from Florida usually stays there, but more importantly, they stole these players from the Florida State Seminoles who in the coming years could be the biggest hurdle in Clemson's quest for ACC domination. With five schools in Florida that played in bowl games in 2010, these three, as well as another five star recruit, and six four star recruits decided to attend a school that went 6-6 before losing the Meineke Bowl to...........

South Florida.

Now Clemson has gone into their backyard, FIU's backyard, Miami's backyard, Florida's backyard, and Florida State's backyard and took some of their top talent. That's not to say that these teams didn't fare well, they did, but to go into a rival state and come out with three of their top players is phenomenal. It was not just Florida either, they grabbed the top linebacker and a four star offensive tackle out of the state of North Carolina and two four star recruits out of Hargrove Academy in Virginia. They dominated much of the east coast and got more bang for their buck than any other team in the nation.

Clemson struggled to a 4-4 ACC record last year in a conference that was possibly the weakest of all the BCS conferences, yet they brought in more top talent than nearly every other school in the country. Well done fellas.

5 Teams to watch in 2011

2011-01-22T08:55:00.000-05:00

If past seasons have been any indication, 2011 will see a few unexpected playoff teams. Just use 2010 as an example. Who saw the Chiefs winning the AFC West? Didn’t anyone notify the Bears that it was supposed to be Green Bay and Minnesota battling it out in the NFC West? Seattle, under a rah-rah college coach found their way into the playoffs and won a game over the defending champs. I thought Philadelphia was supposed to be a last place team in the NFC East? This happens every year, teams that are supposed to be after thoughts find their way into the playoffs. Who could it be next year? I have five candidates, some surprising, some not so.

1. San Diego Chargers-They were the team to beat in the AFC West at the onset of the season. That didn’t work out so well, Phillip Rivers did his part but the lack of a consistent running game, injuries to many of Rivers’ top target, and the defense took most of the season to get started, by the time they were ready to roll it was too late. Why is their optimism for 2011? Ryan Matthews finished the season strong, Rivers is an MVP candidate, and the defense didn’t lose anything, but they should go into the year healthy and return to the upper echelon in the NFL.

2. Dallas Cowboys-They started 1-7; got Wade Phillips fired, and looked pathetic. Then what happened? Tony Romo was lost for the season; they promoted Jason Garrett, and went 5-3 with Jon Kitna at QB. Dallas is one of the most talented teams in all of football and Garrett seemed to tap into that in the second half of 2010. Now going into his second season I would expect him to carry that momentum through the offseason and watch out for the ‘Boys next year.

3. San Francisco 49ers-Somehow they went from preseason favorites in the league’s weakest division to being a 6-10 team that was essentially out of the playoff hunt following an 0-5, and 1-6 start. Enter Jim Harbaugh who worked wonders in Stanford and let us not forget they still play in the atrocious NFC West. Harbaugh may be able to tap into the talent of either Alex or Troy Smith, or possibly go with a rookie but look for him to get the most out of his QBs. The running game led by Frank Gore, receivers with Crabtree and Vernon Davis, and the Patrick Willis led defense are enough to win and if Harbaugh does get one of the QBs to turn the corner, look for them to compete in 2011.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Tampa Bay matured very quickly in 2010. Coming off a 3-13 season they were an afterthought, instead of wallowing in that, Tampa just rolled off a 10-6 season in one of the toughest divisions in football. The maturation of Josh Freeman, Mike Williams, and Arrelious Benn came much quicker than expect. LaGarette Blount supplied a much needed boost to the running game and Kellen Winslow put up some of the best numbers of his career. The defense, led by linebackers Barrett Ruud and Geno Hayes were the real surprise and the return of a healthy Gerald McCoy should help improve the troubled rush defense. Much like Atlanta this year, look for Tampa Bay to make the final step and contend for the NFC South title this coming season.

5. Buffalo Bills-Am I high or what? Buffalo hasn’t been a contender in over a decade and are coming off of a 4-12 season. Fact is though, Buffalo started 0-8 and played nine of their sixteen games against playoff teams (Chicago, Green Bay, Baltimore, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, New England x2, and New York Jets x2). Buffalo played hard all season, going into overtime at Baltimore and at Kansas City and dropping a sure winner against Pittsburgh. The team found an offensive identity and some fluidity behind Ryan Fitzpatrick despite numerous wide receiver injuries. The defensive front was the problem, enter Dave Wannstedt. There is some talent up front and the addition of Shawne Merriman could exponentially increase the pass rush. Buffalo may not win the tough AFC East, but with a slightly easier schedule in 2011, they could contend.

There you go, 2011 is a long way off but those five teams should have much improved seasons. I was tempted to put Houston here, but I’m tired of being let down. Next week, look for my five teams to fall in 2011.

Better by a Mile(s)

2011-01-12T19:47:00.002-05:00

I've never been a huge fan of Les Miles, he's never done anything I disagree with, I was just indifferent. I knew him as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. I knew him as a guy that did things his own way. Called plenty of trick plays and more often than not they worked. I knew him as a guy that did exactly what you didn't expect, so, maybe everyone shouldn't be surprised that he turned down the head coaching position at his alma-mater Michigan in order to stay at LSU.

In his ten years as a head coach Miles has a combined record of 90-38, including 62-17 since taking over for the Tigers in 2005. He has led his teams to nine consecutive bowl games, winning five out of six since going to LSU, including the 2007 National Championship. Miles has accomplished so much in only a decade, why not see what you can do at Michigan? The Wolverines are one of the most storied teams in college football and is a part of histories greatest collegiate rivalry, Ohio State versus Michigan. Why not do it?

This brings me to the change in my opinion of Miles. His reasons were simple, yet spoke so much about his character. He didn't want to leave because he feels he has made a commitment to the school, faculty, assistants, players, and fans, and wants to fulfill that commitment. In a time when coaches can leave at the drop of a hat, not taking into account the players they recruited. The players who chose a school so they could learn under that coach for four years, only to see them leave a year or two later. Miles apparently does something that most don't, he considers his players, he considers the fans, he looks out for others around him and for all that he has accomplished, I think that should be the most respected.

My Very Very early 2011 Fantasy Football Top 25

2011-01-08T13:02:00.002-05:00

I am a fantasy football fanatic, its an obsession, and since I don't have anything I really want to write about at the moment, I will focus on my fantasy football outlook for 2011. I will start at 25 and work down just to build excitement.

25. Drew Brees, QB, NO-Brees has been a top fantasy QB the last few seasons, but 2010 saw a sharp rise in interceptions. He still i probably good for 4000+ yards and 30+ TDs, I have a hard time taking him in the first two rounds.

24. Phillip Rivers, QB, SD-2010 was a coming out party for Rivers. He had a ton of potential and turned it on this past season, and most impressively did it with Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates missing numerous games. He could move up as the offseason moves along, but he is probably a late second to early third round fantasy pick.

23. Vincent Jackson, WR, SD-Jackson only played in four games but put together 250 yards and three touchdowns. If he has a productive offseason he could easily regain his 1100-1200 yards and 10-12 touchdowns. A bit risky right now, but could be a Top 5 wide receiver in 2011.

22. Greg Jennings, WR, GB-Jennings has steadily been an undervalued player for the last four years. He constantly has been in the Top 10 among receivers, but in 2010 he tallied over 1200 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a late second to early third round pick in 2011

21. Darren McFadden, RB, Oak-He finally lived up to his potential and finished in the Top 10 among running backs in 2011. I have him a little lower as with coaching uncertainty you are not sure what is going to happen in Oakland, but I still think he is an top scoring number two fantasy back.

20. Peyton Manning, QB, Ind-I still think he is one of the best. Had a three week span in 2010 in which he really hurt his fantasy teams but lead the league in passing yards and tallied 33 touchdowns, marking the 11th time in 12 years he has gone over 4000 yards and 25 touchdowns.

19. Tom Brady, QB, NE-Had his second best season in terms of stats in 2010, pacing the league with 36 passing touchdowns and throwing for 3900 yards and only throwing four interceptions. Brady is worth a second round pick in 2011.

18. Hakeem Nicks, WR, NYG-Had Nicks not been injured and missed three games he would have finished in the top five among receivers. He is a big physical receiver and is Eli's go to guy in the redzone. Look for an 80 catch, 1200 yard, 12 touchdown season out of him in 2011.

17. Dwayne Bowe, WR, KC-Found the endzone a league high 15 times in 2010, nearly doubling his previous career high of 7. Bowe is a bit of a risk as he has never performed at this level and lost his offensive coordinator, but the skill set warrants a second round pick.

16. Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB-My top quarterback for 2011, Rodgers posted over 3900 yards passing, over 350 yards rushing, and 32 total touchdowns. His ability to run vaults him up to the top of my QB rankings for next season and he should remain up around that level for a number of years.

15. Calvin Johnson, WR, Det-Imagine what Megatron could do with Matt Stafford at QB for a full season. In the two games that Stafford played a majority of, Johnson totaled 14 catches, 247 yards, and 4 TDs. As it was, he still found the endzone 12 times and went over 1100 yards. If he gets a healthy quarterback in 2011 he could far outscore any other wide receiever.

14. Ray Rice, RB, Bal-Rice this low doesn't feel right, but, what separates him from the other running backs is that he just doesn't get into the endzone enough. In a PPR league he is gold, but in standard leagues he is a borderline Top 10 running back. Very safe pick at this spot.

13. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pit-Mendenhall became a touchdown machine for the Steelers in 2011, finding the endzone 13 times and going for nearly 1300 rushing yards. Look for his numbers to remain about the same for the next couple of years as he becomes one of the top fantasy backs.

12. Frank Gore, RB, SF-Once again injuries cut short Frank Gore's season. Barring injury, Gore is a top 5-6 fantasy running back, he just can't remain healthy and that's why he is where he is in my rankings. As it was, he went over 1300 total yards despite missing the final 5 games of 2010.

11. LeSean McCoy, RB, Phi-McCoy became the centerpiece of the Philadelphia offensive attack in 2010. He put up the kind of numbers people are used to seeing from Brian Westbrook, finishing with over 1600 total yards. If he could find the endzone more consistently he would be a Top 5 player.

10. Andre Johnson, WR, Hou-Johnson played most of 2010 through injuries and as a result failed to reach 90 catches for the first time in three years. He still put up 1200+ yards and eight touchdowns. Expect him to bounce back and once again be one of the top receivers in any league.

9. Reggie Wayne, WR, Ind-Wayne's touchdowns dropped to only six, down from ten last season, but 111 catches and 1355 yards more than made up for the drop. He gets more targets than any player in the league and makes the most of them. He is a top receiver in 2011 and probably a few years after that.

8. Roddy White, WR, Atl-Led the league in catches and targets, second in yards, scored 10 touchdowns, and for the fourth year in a row finished with 80+ catches and 1100+ yards. Roddy White is my top receiver for 2011 as he and Matt Ryan have really developed into a dynamic duo. Should be a first rounder in all formats.

7. Michael Turner, RB, Atl-Returned to 2008 form, led the NFC with 1371 rushing yards and found the endzone 12 times. Turner is a workhorse back who should have no problem going over 1200 rushing yards every season. Is only hurt by his lack of receiving ability.

6. Steven Jackson, RB, STL-Arguably the most talented running back in the NFL, with a solid young quarterback Jackson should return to the fantasy elite. Jackson went over 1200 rushing yards but also tallied nearly 50 receptions and 400 receiving yards, if he could get into the endzone more consistently he could be the top fantasy back.

5. Jamaal Charles, RB, KC-Seems high at first glance, but, over 1900 total yards on only 275 touches and eight touchdowns say differently. I personally feel like Charles has the opportunity to go for 2000-2200 total yards in 2011 and could see the endzone 10-12 times. He is a great talent and looks to be used properly in Kansas City.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jax-Has succeeded as the workhorse back but starting losing carries down the stretch. Expect Rashad Jennings to continue to get carries, but watch MJD's production increase. Went for 1641 total yards and only 8 touchdowns, but should be able to get back up to a dozen or so trips to the endzone. Still one of the top fantasy backs.

3. Arian Foster, RB, Hou-Led the NFL in rushing yards (1614), total yards (2218), and touchdowns (22), what's he going to do for an encore? I still really like Foster, but have him third because he touched the ball 392 times last season and that's a lot of work. Look for Houston to work someone else into the lineup and take a bit of a load off Foster, but 2000 total yards and a dozen touchdowns is still very probable.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, Ten-Did not post the kind of season he had in 2009, but still finished with a dozen touchdowns and 1600+ total yards. He is the focal point of that offense and could return to his 2000 yard form. He is a low risk, high reward guy that has the ability to be the top fantasy player.

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Min-Most talented running back in football should also return to claim his thrown as the best fantasy player in football. The quarterback situation is a question so Peterson should see a rise in touches and could easily outdo his 1639 yard, 13 touchdown season in 2010. Is as consistent a running back as any player in football.

There you go, my early 2011 rankings, I'm going to update this on a monthly basis as we progress toward next season

Dear Rex

2011-01-05T08:18:00.000-05:00

It started off as a nice story at the end of last season, your team backed into the playoffs after you said they were eliminated. You then brashly told everyone that your Jets are the team to beat on the road to the Super Bowl. This 9-7 team that barely squeaked in, then won two playoff games and held a halftime lead in the AFC Championship Game before Peyton Manning led his comeback and the Colts eliminated them. You were the loveable fat man back then Rex Ryan, but now you have become the fat uncle who drinks too much and doesn’t know when to shut up.

For me it started in the offseason when the Jets began to wheel and deal and sign every high priced, big name, player nearing the end of his career (LaDanian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor). Then there was Hard Knocks in which one of your new recruits, Antonio Cromartie couldn’t remember his kid’s names. I don’t see any father of the year awards being tossed his way any time soon. But your mouth was the worst part, are you capable of completing a sentence without using F*** or some derivative of it? But all of that was fine leading into the season.

Then it started, you were touting how the Jets are the team to beat, not that that is an issue but you put a huge target on your back. After an opening day loss to the Ravens though your men started backing it up with wins against New England and Minnesota and a road win over the Dolphins, at 5-1 and heading into the bye week the Jets seemed to be rolling. The Jets were outscoring their opponents by ten points per game, Mark Sanchez had nine touchdowns and only two interceptions, and LaDanian was on pace for almost 1600 total yards and had scored five touchdowns.

After the bye week though, you’ve had a different team. Since that Sanchez has thrown just eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions, LaDanian has found the endzone only once, and you’ve gone just 6-4 with overtime wins over the Browns and Lions. The team that had looked nearly unbeatable suddenly was average at best. But that hasn’t silenced you as it Rex? No, you are now baiting Peyton Manning. Despite the fact that when Peyton starts and finishes a game against a team you coach he is 8-0, you seem to want to give him bulletin board material. Go ahead, make the bed you are going to sleep in, because after this weekend I hope to have you run home with your tail between your legs and not have to hear from you till next season. J-U-S-T shut the hell up

Give them Credit

2011-01-01T19:06:00.001-05:00

“This losing stuff is getting old man, I hate it”. Those were the words uttered by University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma following the Huskies first loss in 998 days. UConn fell to Stanford 71-59 Thursday Night, marking the first time since April 6^th of 2008, a string of 90 games. Who was last team to defeat the Huskies prior to last night? The Stanford Cardinal.

The 90 straight is impressive in itself, but the numbers behind the 90 really give credence to how impressive it truly was. 88 of the 90 wins were by ten or more points, and out of those 88, 54 were by 30 or more, and the average margin of victory was over 33 points per game. During the streak, five times they played the second ranked team in the nation, and all five times Connecticut won, including three times over Stanford. Over a third of the wins, 34, came against ranked teams or teams playing the NCAA tournament. The streak also included twelve consecutive wins in the tournament, six in the Big East tournament, and thirty eight straight over Big East opponents.

So how exactly did Stanford defeat a seemingly unbeatable opponent? First, they did what most NBA teams can’t grasp, played sound, aggressive defense. The Huskies couldn’t get off an uncontested shot, Maya Moore was never comfortable, and the Cardinal limited the second chance opportunities. Over the course of the streak, UConn averaged 83 points per game, only 4 times being held under 70, but Stanford played great fundamental basketball all night, and prevented them from ever getting into a scoring run. I hope every coach at every level gets a chance to watch this game, because Stanford played basketball the way it is supposed to be played. Yes, UConn may be more athletic and more talented, but on this night, Stanford wanted it more. Congratulations ladies, this is about how you wanted it, this is your day, you are fully capable of beating any team in the country if you continue to play the way you just did.

Standard Scoring vs Point Per Reception

2010-12-28T17:34:00.001-05:00

A standard scoring league has always been dominated by running backs, they are the staple of a quality fantasy team. In a standard league in 2010, when comparing running backs and wide receivers, there is seemingly no comparison. Nine running backs rank above the top receiver, and 17 of the top 25 RB/WR available players are running backs. Time share guys like Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, Ahmad Bradshaw, Benjarvis Green-Ellis, and Mike Tolbert rank above stud receivers like DeSean Jackson and Reggie Wayne. What does it all mean? In a standard league, you need to address running back early. There are the occasion late round or waiver wire steals, and we saw more this year than in any year in recent memory. Arian Foster, Darren McFadden, Peyton Hillis, and the aforementioned Mike Tolbert were all late round guys or picked up off the scrap pile, but spending a high pick on Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, LeSean McCoy, and Steven Jackson paid off more than spending a late first to early second round pick on a receiver like Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Miles Austin. So next year, in your standard league, take a running back first, it has always been the motto of fantasy football, but for some reason fantasy players have shied away from this. As for a PPR league, that’s a whole different story…

Successful PPR guys have been able to get by in the past with guys like Wes Welker, Derrick Mason, and Danny Amendola. All you have to do is gather plenty of catches. When you look at the top 25 RB/WR eligible players, 14 of them are wide receivers. Running backs like Rashard Mendenhall, Matt Forte, Cedric Benson, and Mike Tolbert don’t appear in the top 25, but high possession receivers like Larry Fitzgerald, Wes Welker, Jeremy Maclin, and Marques Colston do. Judging from these results, in 2011 feel free to take wide outs in round 1. The top 12 guys in these leagues are split with five wide receivers and seven running backs, with the guys ranked 10-12 being named Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, and Chris Johnson. In a PPR feel free to take the best guy, regardless of position as you can grab pass catching running backs or possession receivers a little later on.

This is not a must follow list as everyone does their own thing, but keep it in mind if in your standard league you are picking sixth and debating over Roddy White or Michael Turner, take the guy who is going to touch the ball 300-350 times. Where as in a PPR, the same debate is do you take Turner and his 1500 yards and 10 touchdowns or White who’s 100 catches are worth the same as a 1000 yards? Keep it simple fellas, and that is a simple as it gets.

Remember the Good Times

2010-12-20T22:23:00.002-05:00

One week after missing his first game since 1992, he returns to the field. Not the dome that collapsed, postponed the game for one day, and held the entire country in suspense as to whether or not he would continue the streak. No, he did not play, but Brett is back on the field again tonight. The cold, frozen, outdoor stadium, that usually plays home to the Golden Gophers will now host the Bears, the Vikings, and Brett Favre. Enough about Brett Favre, right? From the retirement wavering, to Sterger-gate, to the streak, to a return on Monday Night against long-time rival Chicago in front of the world, Favre has really worn out his welcome. Alas, he says this is the end, and I truly believe he means it this time. This has been a long, trying season and not nearly what he expected. But, I ask you one question…

Can you look past the last few seasons and remember Brett Favre, the hall of famer who loved to play football and made everyone love watching football. Let’s look at how Favre’s legend began, in mid-September of 1992, then Packer’s quarterback Don Majkowski left the game to injury. Enter Favre, all he did was fumble four times and the Packers trailed 23-17 and had the ball at their own 8 yard, Favre orchestrated a 92 yard game winning drive. The following week Green Bay defeated the Steelers and went on a six game winning streak and finished 9-7, just missing the playoffs. Green Bay went to the playoffs in 1993 for the first time since 1982, and in 1994 they became the first Packers team since the 60’s to make the playoffs in back to back seasons. Favre woud go on to dominate the remainder of the 90’s, winning three MVP awards from 1995-1997, leading the team to the NFC Championship game every year and a Super Bowl Title in 1996.

The nineties wound down and a new millennium started and Favre continued the streak, continued to entertain us, and continued to play the game he loved, but no one could have expected what was witnessed on December 22^nd, 2003. One day after the death of his father Favre took the field against the Raiders what remains his best game statistically, passing for four touchdowns, 399 yards, and a passer rating of 154.9. But that was not as memorable as the post game interview, in which through tears Favre said he played because that’s what his father would have wanted, he loved him, and he loved the game of football.

That is the Brett Favre I choose to remember, the one who played because he loved the game. He holds the record for most touchdowns, yards, wins, and nearly every other quarterback statistic, but I remember the Brett Favre that is tackling his receivers in the endzone, pelting Donald Driver with snow balls, and playing the game like a kid. Brett Favre, last year should have been your last, but I will always remember the pre-2010 you, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see that Brett reemerge tonight.

Taking Responsibility

2010-01-05T21:38:00.002-05:00

Tonight was supposed to be about a certain professional athlete brandishing a gun in a locker room, instead its going to be about something that is possibly just as troubling and could explain why this type of behavior seems to be so common place.

While watching a local high school girl's basketball game a young lady was called for a foul, fair enough, they happen every game no big deal. Until she decides to start yelling at the ref, she is then given the technical. Now according to team rules that denotes the player being benched the remainder of the game. Instead of her taking the bench, she continues to get into a shouting match with the ref for which she is given her second technical and subsequently ejected from the game and no longer permitted near the court. All of this occurred within a five second span in the second quarter. The player goes into the locker room only to emerge during halftime when the rest of the team comes out.

The girls behavior is completely inexcusable and that is evident to every adult in the arena, with the exception of said player's mother. The mother does not seem to realize that her sixteen year old daughter disrespected her team, teammates, school, coach, athletic faculty, and the referees. Instead she blames the coach for being too hard on her child. Twice in the season a player has gotten a technical foul and both times those players sat on the bench the remainder of the game with no issue, but for some reason this mother and this parent seem to think they should be the exception.

I'm not saying this situation is directly related to what recently happened in Washington, but if parents do not hold themselves and their children responsible for these types of actions, then when will they learn what is wrong and what is right? When a player joins a team, there are a certain set of rules they need to follow, if they don't they have to face the consequences. If every parent treated their child like this coach, these referees, and this team treated this player maybe there would not be the issue of athletes attempting to live by a different set of rules. It should be up to the parent to teach this and not high school coaches.

To Play or Not to Play

2010-01-04T18:31:00.002-05:00

In the past two weeks the very foundation of the NFL playoff system may have been shaken. The Colts decided not to go for "The Perfect Season" and rested their starters in Weeks 16, giving the 7-7 Jets the chance to stay in the playoff hunt. In Week 17 the Bengals utilized a vanilla game plan and spent much of the second half with backup players playing. In a two week span the New York Jets went from 7-7 and in the back of the pack in the run for a wildcard spot to 9-7 and the fifth seed in the AFC and teams like the Steelers and Texans lost out due to the Colts' and Bengals' treating these games like exhibition games.. Now there are rumblings that these teams should have played there starters and something must be done to uphold the integrity of the league.

A team that does well enough throughout the season has the right to rest players to avoid injuries. That is the luxury of performing well throughout the season, the Colts were 14-0 with nothing to gain from playing their starters down the stretch. The Bengals were 10-5 and guaranteed a home playoff game, they had nothing to gain by risking injury. This is done every season, a team has a great season and knows they will be in the playoffs and have the opportunity to give other players playing time and avoid injury to their stars.

The other side of the argument is the competitive balance that is affected by these teams. Pittsburgh and Houston may have a legitimate argument, but, had Pittsburgh defeated Kansas City or Cleveland or Oakland, teams that combined to go 14-34, they would not have to worry about the tie-breaking procedures or depend on the Jets to lose. Houston on the other hand, could have defeated the Jets when they played in Week One, and they would be in the playoffs rather than readying for free agency.

There are still teams that decide to play to win the game down the stretch, risking injury and fatigue to maintain the team's timing and consistency. The Patriots experienced the ultimate downside to this theory, the loss of the league leader in receptions for the playoffs, Wes Welker.

Resting the starters is no guarantee of a successful postseason, teams seem to be negatively affected by the time off, only one time in the past decade has a team been a top seed and won the Super Bowl (04 Patriots). Over this span teams have been forced to play themselves into the playoffs and ride that momentum to a successful postseason run.

So who is right?

Who knows, the NFL does not like resting starters because hard working fans do not want to pay money to see backups and practice squad players in Week 17. But, what would happen if Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Drew Brees were forced to play, only to be injured and miss the playoffs? Would the average fan rather see backups in the regular season and starters in the playoffs or vice-versa? The right answer is...

Whatever the coach decides to do, after all he has positioned his team to have that luxury.

Manny Being Manny

2009-05-07T13:09:00.005-04:00

Manny Ramirez is at it again.

No he's not going behind the Green Monster to relieve himself in the middle of an inning, he's not climbing the outfield wall to high five a fan in the middle of a play, and he's not attempting to trade himself for Brett Favre, its much worse this time.

Manny Ramirez is quite frankly one of the best hitters of his or any other time. At the age of 36 he is in the top 20 in career Home runs, Runs batted in, and Slugging Percentage, to go along with a career .315 batting average. He entered 2009 with 30 or more home runs and 100 or more RBI in ten of his last eleven seasons. He has not failed to hit at least 20 home runs since 1994 and was off to a tremendous start this season until.....

Reports came out that he tested positive for a banned substance.
ESPN, MLB, CNN, and Yahoo are all over it.

This revelation just puts another black eye on the face of baseball. The sports' biggest stars continue to disappoint teams, fans, officials, and the history of the sport. Long past are the days of Babe Ruth when hot dogs and beer were the worst things going into the players' bodies. With players seemingly falling under suspicion and testing positive every other month, how far back can we be certain that players were not using? Is Cal Ripken's streak a product of "performance enhancing drugs", can one really expect that a 185 lbs Ken Griffey Jr was really capable of multiple 50+ home run season without a little help? Are the days of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays so far gone that the players will openly risk the game's and their own integrity in order to better themselves? One also has to wonder who else is currently using? Are Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Miguel Cabrera really beyond suspicion any more?

In Manny's defense, he has stated "Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me". To which I actually believe. You see, Manny has never been seen as the guy to make the best decision. He has always danced to his own little tune. He's always had his own way of doing everything and making the right decision does not seem to come naturally to him. I have always been a fan of Ramirez, and I don't understand how you cannot be. The guy makes baseball fun and despite the quest for the bigger contract, I really think he enjoys the game. He's fun, he's entertaining, and he's good, but now, he also has a fifty game suspension.

Bravo to Major League Baseball for sticking to its guns. You set a precedent, and you followed through despite one of the most marketable players, best team, and biggest markets is involved. Baseball needs to be cleaned up, despite who's expense it is at.

Manny, you're a great asset to the sport, but, make wise decisions, you just received over twenty million dollars to play baseball this season, spare $500,000, and pay someone to check your prescription and compare it to the baseball illegal drug list. Or, don't, after all you are Manny and you're being the only thing you know how to be, yourself.