The Football Outsiders, the group that does some incredible moneyball style analysis on the NFL, aggregated the draft report cards from a bunch of the expert pundits from ESPN, CBS Sportsline, Yahoo Sports and others.  It's a comprehensive list and pretty good to review. 

The Football Guys, which is a great content site, wrote up their winners & losers column following the NFL draft. 

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the AFC East Draft Summaries, by team.

Buffalo Bills
The composition of the Bills offense has changed some this off-season with the trade of LT Jason Peters and the suspension for 3 games of Marshawn Lynch.  The Bills had some key needs, particularly on the offensive line, heading into ’09 and while they took a C/OG in late round 1 (Eric Wood) and another versatile G/T type in round 2 (Andy Levitre) this draft seems stale to the casual observer. 

Summary:  The Bills made noise with the Terrell Owens signing but if they can’t get their offensive line straightened out, it won’t matter.  TE Shawn Nelson was a good value pick in round 4, he could surprise as a receiver immediately (and be open in a suddenly deep Bills receiving core) but he needs to work on his blocking to be a regular contributor. 

Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins took one of the more intriguing QB prospects in round 2 (Pat White), presumably he’ll lead up their wildcat formations in ’09 and get an opportunity to challenge for a more permanent role behind center in the future.  The only other skill position selections of note are WR’s Patrick Turner (3rd) & Brian Hartline (4th) who both come from top college programs, have big frames but neither were expected to be drafted that early. 

Summary:  The Dolphins didn’t do much on the offensive side of the ball outside of adding Pat White, who will reduce the number of direct snaps Ronnie Brown takes but will add an important multi-dimensional element to the Dolphins offense.  Generally the Dolphins skill position players will enter ’09 as they left ’08, with the possibility of Turner and/or Hartline getting regular rotation within a below average receiving group. 

New England Patriots
The Pats seemed to be trade happy and ended up with twelve picks and a couple ’10 picks from their efforts.  The interesting picks from a fantasy perspective are the two offensive lineman in round 2 & 4 (T Sebastian Vollmer & G Rich Ohmberger) and arguably one of the higher risk/reward WR picks in the draft of Brandon Tate in round 3.  Also of note the Pats took a QB in round 6, Julian Edeman, however unlike Tom Brady & Matt Cassel, he’ll be more of a wildcat & special teams player.

Summary:  The Pats didn’t make any dramatic additions to their already outstanding skill position talent.  Most notably, the lack of a RB selection means the Pats are still counting on Laurence Maroney in some manner, albeit possibly behind Sammy Morris & Fred Taylor in ’09. 

New York Jets
The Jets made some bold moves in this draft, coming out with only 3 players in the process but they are important.  Their first selection was the #5 overall, QB Mark Sanchez who they believe will be their franchise guy for years to come.  To get Sanchez they had to give up their 1st, 3rd & three players (including QB Bret Ratliff).  Then to start the 3rd round, the Jets packaged 3 more later round picks to select RB Shonn Greene.  Greene has the potential to be a starter down the road but he’ll be a backup to start.

Summary:  If the Jets hit on Sanchez, this will be a solid to great draft for them, if not, it’ll be remembered as a bust.  Sanchez has the look of a potential top 10 fantasy QB though, so from that perspective this was a good pick.  Greene is less of a certainty but he does bring a banger mentality and new HC Rex Ryan wants to implement a 3 headed committee with Thomas Jones, Leon Washington & Greene.  This reduces the value of all three but ensures each will have weeks when they shine. 

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the AFC South's Draft Summaries, by team.

Houston Texans
The Texans focused on the defensive side of the ball but they did invest a 3rd round pick in a C/OG Antoine Caldwell from Alabama that folks like and two mid round selections on TE, the one in particular that fantasy leaguers should keep on the look out for is James Casey who is a super athlete and could develop into a pass catching specialist. 

Summary:  The Texans said they wanted to add a big back, maybe they’ll do that via trade, but generally they come out of this trade with the same collection of skill position players as they ended in ’08 with.  The difference this year is they know they have a dynamic, game breaker at RB with Steve Slaton and the makings of a deep & strong WR core with Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre Davis & Jacoby Jones at WR, and a top TE in Owen Daniels.  If QB Matt Schaub can step up his game, the Texans have the makings of a top 15 offense. 

Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will made one of the bigger surprises in round one by selecting RB Donald Brown when they already have a young, stud in Joseph Addai on their roster.  Their other early pick was on a corner, so Brown is the big prize for fantasy leaguers.

Summary:  Brown is a very talented back, somebody who could be a three down contributor, but Addai will be featured this year.  That said, Addai took a big hit both this year and long-term in Indy with this selection and is no longer a sure fire RB1, he’s now a strong RB2 with Brown as a RB3 with upside.  This move helps Peyton Manning slightly by ensuring the Colts have a balanced rushing attack.  The addition of Austin Collie in the 4th round was a good one, he’s a strong possession type guy who will give Manning another reliable weapon in the passing game.

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars say they stuck to value on their draft board and by the looks of it, it would seem to be the case.  The Jags took one of the top 3 OT’s in the draft at #8 with Eugene Munroe, then drafted the #5 rated OT in Eben Britton early in the 2nd round.  Their offensive line was a mess in ’08, so these selections along with the free agent signing of Tra Thomas will give them more depth & productivity.  They also added two WR’s in the middle rounds, Mike Thomas (4th) and Jarret Dillard (5th), who are both known for being very good & productive receivers, likely slot type of guys who will contribute on special teams.

Summary:  The Jags made sure to protect their investment in Maurice Jones-Drew & David Garrard in this draft, and in doing so made MJD a likely safe top 5 fantasy RB in ’09.  Garrard now is a sleeper to be a top 10 QB with an improved line, some depth at WR and the arrival of his first real featured WR in Torry Holt.   Also the Jags may have snagged a steal in the 7th round in RB Rashad Jennings who could be Jones-Drew’ backup immediately, keep an eye out for him. 

Tennessee Titans
The Titans needed to add pass catching ability to their team and they certainly made an effort by selecting WR Kenny Britt at the bottom of the 1st (30th overall) and TE Jared Cook in the 3rd (89th overall).  Both add elements that are lacking from the current squad and ideally will take some of the defensive attention away from Chris Johnson & LenDale White. 

Summary:  Britt & Cook aren’t going to be productive fantasy producers in ’09 but don’t be surprised if they positively impact Chris Johnson by providing him some more room to roam.  The Titans are a run first team, so Kerry Collins’ value remains as a fantasy reserve (or waiver wire pick up) until Britt or somebody else on the Titans shows they can make plays in open space down the field. 

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the AFC North's Draft Summaries, by team.

Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens used one early pick on the focus of Michael Lewis’ “Blind Side” book, OT Michael Oher.  The rest of the early draft choices were spent on the defensive side of the ball.  

Summary: Oher is a potential franchise left tackle, who if he lives up to his ability, will be a road grader for Willis McGahee, Ray Rice & LeRon McClain respectively, and give Joe Flacco time to throw.  Net net, if Oher is a great tackle it will translate into more production from this emerging offense.

Cleveland Browns
The Browns have changed the complexion of their team in the past few months.  The Mark Sanchez deal brought them a developmental QB, Brett Ratliff, and this draft netted them a new C (Alex Mack w/ the 21st overall pick) & two new WR’s (Brian Robiskie at #36 overall & Mohamed Massaquoi @50).  They didn’t add a RB as many expected but the team’s skill position talent is being overhauled.  

Summary:  With Braylon Edwards still in the fold, the Browns enter ’09 with an upgraded offensive line, depth at WR and a new look offense that will be part spread and part run focused, north & south running.  Brady Quinn & Derek Anderson will battle it out for the starting QB job, the winner won’t be anything more than a fantasy QB2 while Jamel Lewis looks like an underrated fantasy RB2 on a squad that will rely heavily on running the ball.  

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are being applauded for having a great draft, though I don’t completely see it.  Andre Smith at 6 could be a great pick but he seems less interested in football and could be a weight/motivation problem.  They picked up a potential starting C in the 4th and a good receiving TE option in the 3rd in Chase Coffman.  

Summary: The improved o-line will not only help keep Carson Palmer upright but open up running lanes to give their offense balance in ’09.  If their lineman additions are good, Chad Johnson & Laverneous Coles could be up for big years.  

Pittsburgh Steelers
The reigning world champion Steelers had their typical draft picking up BCS school productive college players with focus on the lines.  They added an OT & WR in the 3rd round (Kraig Urbik/OT & Mike Wallace/WR), both of which are more developmental type guys who will serve as backups in ’09.  

Summary:  The Steelers skill position contributors in ’09 will look the same as ’08 with the exception that ’08 first round choice, Rashard Mendenhall, will be a bigger factor this year.  That means Willie Parker will be the starter but probably won’t see more than 65% of the carries, with Mendenhall getting 30% and Mewelde Moore the remaining carries and much of the 3rd down work.  

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the AFC West's Draft Summaries, by team.

Denver Broncos
The Broncos surprised the NFL & fantasy world by selecting Knowshon Moreno with the twelve overall selection.  They added a versatile, blocking TE in Richard Quinn at the end of the 2nd but the real news was Moreno.  With the addition of J.J. Arrington & Correll Buckhalter this off-season, most thought the Broncos would patch together a backfield out of those two, Peyton Hillis, Selvin Young & Ryan Torain.  

Summary:  Moreno is the most versatile, NFL ready back who can play all three downs (he’s a great receiver & solid pass blocker), so he immediately becomes this year’s top rookie fantasy prospect – likely to fall somewhere in that mid RB2 range.  His selection drops just about all those other Denver backs into the waiver wire group.  Quinn won’t be fantasy relevant but it could eventually spell the end of Tony Scheffler’s run in Denver.

Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs went into this draft w/o their 2nd round pick, which was used to acquire QB Matt Cassel.  The rest of their selections were used on the defensive side of the ball so they’ll enter ’09 with the same group of players.  

Summary: The Chiefs are in rebuilding mode but have some decent skill position talent with Larry Johnson & Jamaal Charles at RB, Dwayne Bowe & Jeff Webb at WR and Brad Cottam at TE, unfortunately for them & fantasy leaguers, they didn't add anything to the offensive side of the ball in the '09 draft.

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders, once again, shocked the NFL by selecting a less productive, seemingly less talented WR Darrius Heyward-Bey over Michael Crabtree with the draft’s 7th overall selection.  Their other picks were on the defensive side of the ball but its this selection that will have NFL fans & pundits talking for several years.  If Heyward-Bey becomes a very good receiver and/or if Crabtree is a bust, they will look good but the odds are highly in favor of the other direction.  

Summary:  Heyward-Bey enters Oakland with the expectations that he’ll be a featured guy but he will need time to develop and the Raiders are expected to run the ball 65% of the time.  This pick helps JaMarcus Russell and may take some heat off TE Zack Miller but likely it will take another year to realize that.  

San Diego Chargers
The Chargers added an offensive guard in the 2nd round and an underrated RB (Gartrell Johnson) in the 5th round but beyond that they focused on the defensive side of the ball.  So the Chargers will enter ’09 with the same core group of skill position players, which is good for another top 10 offensive finish.

Summary:  San Diego has a top 5 fantasy QB (Phillip Rivers), the #1 fantasy TE (Antonio Gates), two potential fantasy starters at RB (LaDainian Tomlinson & Darren Sproles) and an up & coming top 20 fantasy WR (Vincent Jackson), so they don’t have much room for new contributors.  That said LT’s value is declining & Sproles is probably a one year player for the Chargers so Johnson could be a deep sleeper, ala Michael Turner.  

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the NFC East's Draft Summaries, by team.

Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys first pick wasn’t until round 3, and their only offensive selection was QB Stephen McGee in the 4th. 

Summary:  The Cowboys skill positions are strong & deep, the team just needs to take the next step in its development to be a top 5 offense perennially. 

New York Giants
The Giants invested in two WR’s this draft (Hakeem Hicks in the 1st & Ramses Barden in the 3rd) and an offensive lineman, that they will develop to provide depth & skill to those respective positions. 

Summary:  Hakeem Hicks will be given an opportunity to start immediately opposite Dominick Hixon and/or Steve Smith, and Hicks could surprise with tremendous route running & hands, and veteran craftiness.  Hicks could be the top rookie receiver and end up with WR3 type numbers.  Barden on the other hand has huge upside but will take a couple years to develop.  Eli Manning can rest knowing that he’ll have two new receivers to throw to. 

Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles made a big splash on the offensive side of the ball over the past week, acquiring a two time all pro LT in Jason Peters, then drafting one of the top WR’s (Jeremy Maclin at #20) & RB’s (LeSean McCoy at #53) to complement strong core starters at those respective positions. 

Summary: Maclin is just as explosive of a playmaker as last year’s rookie sensation DeSean Jackson.  Expect the Eagles to start ’09 with Kevin Curtis & Jackson as its starters with Maclin in the rotation as the #3 guy and primary return man, but long-term it’ll be Maclin & Jackson providing both underneath & deep game breaking / running after the catch ability.  McCoy is interesting, he is a Brian Westbrook like clone, and with BW crossing thirty years of age and never being a durable guy, he could be a bigger fantasy contributor in ’09 than anybody expects…he’ll start off as a RB4 and must have handcuff for Westbrook owners.

Washington Redskins
For once the Redskins focused on the defensive side of the ball and any of that Mark Sanchez trade circulation was just that.  Their focus last year on receivers (Malcolm Kelly, Devin Thomas & TE Fred Davis) should pay off this year now that they all have had time to develop.

Summary:  Expect Devin Thomas to become a bigger part of the offense this year with Fred Davis playing a complementary role at TE.  Santana Moss may take a step back this year as the west coast offensive principles rely on bigger receivers as the featured guys.  However any improvement offensively is contingent on QB Jason Campbell taking the next step in his development.

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the NFC South's Draft Summaries, by team.

Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons went straight defense in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.  However after picking up future HOF TE Tony Gonzales on trade this week, they didn’t have many needs on that side of the ball. 

Summary:  Tony Gonzales’ fantasy value drops some in Atlanta where he won’t be the undisputed receiving option but his presence helps QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner & WR Roddy White as he draws defensive coverage his direction. 

Carolina Panthers
The Panthers spent all three early picks on defensive players, and even traded away another future 1st rounder (they dealt last year’s to Philly for OT Jeff Otah) to the SF 49’ers for DE Everette Brown (2nd round). 

Summary:  The Panthers offense has lots of young talent, the key is whether veteran QB Jake Delhomme still has enough left in the tank. 

New Orleans Saints
With only one pick in the first three rounds, the Saints didn’t have much firepower – and once they used that pick on a CB (Malcolm Jenkins, #14 overall) – their offense was set to stick to together.

Summary:  Pierre Thomas now looks like safe bet to enter ’09 as the featured runner with Reggie Bush playing a slot / change of pace role.  Bush’ fantasy value won’t take much of a hit (he’ll be a RB2/3) while Thomas likely will ascend into a RB3 spot with upside in the Saints offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs made an investment on their quarterback position when they took Josh Freeman in the 1st round (#19 overall).  Freeman played under current HC Raheem Morris at Kansas State, so there is familiarity here and you can expect he’ll be groomed to start as soon as ’10 if not sooner.

Summary:  Luke McCown & Byron Leftwich have the upper hand to start in ’09 but HC Morris has already stated that Freeman will compete for the role immediately.  Given the coach’s history with Freeman, don’t discount the chance that they take a Joe Flacco type approach with him in ’09 by cranking the ball on the ground & grinding out games this year while Freeman develops. 

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the NFC North's Draft Summaries, by team. 

Chicago Bears
The Bears went into this draft without a first or third round selection due to the Jay Cutler deal, and they needed to add receiver depth.  So with a third round pick they received in a trade back, they took WR Juaquin Iglesias, who can help them from the slot immediately.

Summary:  Iglesias is a nice possession type receiver but he won’t challenge the playing time of Devin Hester & Earl Bennett, the projected starters.  Cutler's fantasy value in '09 took a major hit when he was dealt to Chicago, and the Bears did little to improve it in this draft. 

Detroit Lions
No team changed the complexion of their offense more than the Lions over the draft’s first four rounds, picking up a hopeful franchise QB (Matthew Stafford w/ the #1 overall pick), a #1 TE (Brandon Pettigrew w/ the #20 pick) & a quality playmaking WR in Derrick Williams in the 3rd round.

Summary:  The Lions already have arguably the most physically gifted & talented WR in the NFL in Calvin Johnson, so the addition of Stafford, Pettigrew & Williams on paper improve his fantasy value in ’09 & beyond.  In the near term, Pettigrew is the only one to have any fantasy value but Stafford should have an impact by ’10 and Williams could be the possession complement to CJ that keeps the chains moving.  

Green Bay Packers
The Packers went defensive with DT B.J. Raji (1st, #9 overall) & LB Clay Matthews (1st, #26) with their early picks.  While both should have an impact on the defense, neither appear to be IDP considerations in ’09.

Summary:  Some pundits predicted the Packers would select a RB early, the fact they didn’t improves Ryan Grant’s fantasy value for ’09.  While Brandon Jackson could take some time away from Grant, its clear the Packers are committed to him being their primary runner this year, in an offense that should be top 15.  Grant went from a borderline RB2 to a solid / strong RB2 heading into ’09.  

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are a RB heavy team that lacks in punch throwing the ball.  They picked up veteran QB Sage Rosenfels in the off-season to battle incumbent Tarvaris Jackson.  In this draft they added a playmaker in the 1st round with WR Percy Harvin (#22) & an OL Phil Loadholt for depth & development.  

Summary:  Harvn is a playmaker who will add an explosive element to the Viking offense that has been lacking from their WR position since Randy Moss left but his maturity running pro style routes & being a professional are in doubt, so he may not be much of a factor in ’09.  Bernard Berrian may see an uptick in fantasy value with Harvin around but he needs one of the QB’s to step up to realize that opportunity.  

The 2009 NFL Draft is in the books, here is a look at the NFC West's Draft Summaries, by team. 

Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals didn’t have many holes offensively outside of running back.  The team line this off-season was that Tim Hightower would enter ’09 as the starter with Edgerrin James sharing the ball.  After the two combined for a sub 3.3 YPC with the rookie Hightower failing to break three yards per tote, that pronouncement was hollow.  So with the selection of Chris “Beanie” Wells with their first round pick (31 overall), you can throw out all that rhetoric about Hightower and pencil Wells into the primary starting RB role. 

Summary:  Wells enters ’09 as arguably the rookie in the best situation to contribute immediately with Edgerrin James (if he’s not released) as the primary backup & Tim Hightower in a 3rd down / complementary role.  The only player with fantasy value in ’09 is Wells, likely as a RB3 to start. 

San Francisco 49’ers
The 49’ers offense has been dismal since the team jettisoned Jeff Garcia & Terrell Owens earlier this decade.  With the selection of WR Michael Crabtree in the 1st round (10 overall), RB Glen Coffee in the 3rd & QB Nate Davis in the 5th, the team has added key elements to diversify and provide depth for the future. 

Summary:  Crabtree will instantly be the 49’ers top playmaker on the outside but for a team focused on running the ball, that will translate into no more than fantasy WR4 numbers in ’09.  The other WR’s take a mild hit from this pick but Josh Morgan & Isaac Bruce weren’t fantasy starters anyway.  Coffee will be a change of pace & insurance pick against a Frank Gore injury, while Nate Davis is a developmental quarterback who won’t see the field for a couple of years but has intriguing talent. 

St. Louis Rams
The Rams went defensive with all their early selections with the exception of the #2 overall pick, which they used on what they hope will be a franchise left tackle, Jason Smith. 

Summary:  If Smith lives up to the billing, this will help alleviate the loss of Orlando Pace and provide running holes for Steven Jackson & time to throw to Marc Bulger.  Generally this is a very good sign for the Rams offense as they needed to get younger & more athletic along their front, and Smith provides a jolt of both. 

Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks took arguably the draft’s safest player in LB Aaron Curry (#4 overall) who should be an IDP tackling machine.  On the offensive side of things, the ‘hawks added the draft’s top C (Max Unger) and a quality slot receiver in the 4th in Deion Butler. 

Summary:  Unger helps improve the ‘hawks offensive line but its difficult to see that making a major difference in ’09.  Butler won’t challenge for much playing time in ’09 but he could help out in 4 receiver sets behind T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Deion Branch & Courtney Taylor. 6th round pick, QB Mike Teel from Rutgers, has some potential but he’ll need a couple of years to develop (if ever). 

Tyler Thigpen -  A flop this week, Everybody has a bad game once in awhile. I look for a different week this week, drawing Denver.

Brett Favre - 247 and 1 int not a great day either, however he had quite a few good opportunities for a TD his wide receivers spoiled that.

Lance Moore - Scored a TD I say success even if he only caught two passes.

Darren McFadden - Who knows what the raiders will do each game, Fargas only struggled for one week.

Leron McClain -Main Man in Baltimore, even if he only scores 8 FP.

Steelers Rb's-  Success most of the Steelers attack was passing.

Patriots Rb's - Faulk and Morris made their points however they got them. Failure on my part.

Jay Cutler -  Failed miserably Cutler had a great game in the wind and rain and cold. Every one gets lucky.

Dwayne Bowe - Nothingness just like I said it would be.

Derek Anderson - Broke, umm out for the season. Ya..

Matt Cassel -Still a fine Qb for matchups have a good schedule coming up. Not this week but sometime down the road he will have another good game.

Leon Washington - Decent against a tough Washington D

Mark Bradley - Chiefs Had a poor day it happens.

Bo Scaife  - Alge Crumpler was on the field.

D/ST: Miami- Good matchup good result. Defenses help you win championships.

Overall it was a really weird week. Brian Westbrook the guy we heard was hurt all week, has a 4 Td game.

Mcnabb Has a big day even though we were supposed to see him on the bench.

Peyton Hillis continues to thrill, even though Denver doesn't have much else going for them.

Flacco has a big day, he continues to have good games makes you wonder where he will be drafted next year.

Mark Clayton comes out of nowhere. Who is mark Clayton? Those were my exact words Sunday evening.

Peyton Manning flops and flutters and scores 1 fantasy point.

Eli has a decent game.

So Much we could have never predicted when we started this year. It has definably been wacky. More the reason to stay connected and stay on top of all the latest news and fantasy advice here on FFcollective. Have a good week. DivineGuru

Happy belated turkey day everyone. As most everyone was yesterday I was hugging the TV with a big plate of turkey, gravy, stuffing, and dinner rolls watching the Titans dish out the punishment to the Lions. I would have wrote this piece yesterday but I am afraid my computer keyboard does not like pumpkin pie.  I looked like Frank Caliendo yesterday before the Dallas and Seattle game. Henry the eighth like with a turkey leg in one hand and a beer in the other.  Yesterday was simple as far as picks go, you knew the Titan's would run all over the Lions, you knew Dallas would destroy Seattle, you thought the Arizona/Philly game would be high scoring game. Not a bad day for Warner but he really blew it, Westbrook was the star 2 receiving and 2 rushing Td's. A 2 week span back from injury and he blows up. If your lucky you got a big jump on your opponents. If you are unlucky then you have got some ground to cover much like my opponents do this week so let's get to it.

Start

Tyler Thigpen - Consistently making his way up the fantasy Qb depth chart, unlike any we have seen in KC before, with the exception of Montana of course. He thrives in this situation, he has made the offense of KC great even though Larry Johnson is bad. This week he draws the Raiders who have 1 good corner and he has more passing options, Definite start this week he has consistently posted double digit numbers the past 4 weeks.

Brett Favre - Not only are the Packers profiting from the last 2 weeks assuring the Jets of a playoff spot, because they get a 2nd round pick.  Fantasy owners have been profiting, not the same Favre over the last two weeks very consistent not to many interceptions he deserves a chance here.

Lance Moore - Bar none the #1 target in NO even with Colston there, Colston may not be 100% but this guy is the show stopper a touchdown in the last 2 weeks and over 100 yards receiving you gotta play him.

Darren McFadden - Laugh if you must, but if you have held on to him this long without production, your not laughing. Kansas City Defense, Is the worst defense I have seen in nearly 10 years. If Fargas doesn't slay them McFadden will.

Leron McClain - If your looking deep this week and you need a guy that has the possibility of a great game or 3-4 points, It is all about McGahee but it should be about McClain.

Sit

Steelers Rb's- Not easy to run on the Patriots this will be an air show.

Patriots Rb's - See above..

Jay Cutler - Last couple of weeks he has had ok games but his turnovers draw him down to nothing, Thigpen would be better and Cassel would be better.

Dwayne Bowe - remember that corner I was talking about when on the Thigpen subject, well he is Nnamdi Asomugha and he will be attached to Dwayne Bowe's hip.

Derek Anderson - Only four  passing touchdowns have been scored on the Colts this year and the Browns are not the type of team to make it 5.

Pickups - Pretty much my usual rant.

Matt Cassel - Not Brady, but not that damn bad.

Leon Washington - Have you watched a Jets game lately?

Mark Bradley - When D Bowe draws the Great corner who does the ball go to?

Bo Scaife  - Who's Alge Crumpler?

D/ST: Miami- Rams are bad!!!!!!!! need I say more?

That is it for this week, enjoy your leftovers and stay tuned to FFCollective for all your latest news and fantasy advice. DivineGuru out. Gobble!!

It's hard to get excited about the Missouri Tigers anymore. Overshadowed by the sexier teams in the Big 12, no longer sporting a Heisman contender in Chase Daniel, the Tigers currently hold meaningless rank at 11 (the BCS's equivalent of Mr. Irrelevant - not a Top 10 team, but maybe, eventually). In spite of the high-profile loss to Oklahoma State that scratched Daniel's name off the H-List, the Tigers,  if they can survive an Iowa State team with, er, a lot of potential, can still sew up a berth in the Big 12 championship after a likely loss by Kansas to a hungry Texas squad this Saturday. Still, all prognosticators of that game are predicting a repeat of what happened last year: Missouri won't keep up with the better team from the Big 12 South, whoever that may be.

That said, the Tigers still boast one of the best receiving tight ends in the country in Chase Coffman. When Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M entered the draft last year as a junior, taken in the second round by the Cowboys, and Travis Beckum of Wisconsin was left stranded without a competent quarterback this year, the title of most-sought-after was Coffman's to lose. He hasn't, despite sharing the field with another notable Tiger, sophomore Jeremy Maclin, who could be First WR Overall if he decides to enter early. Coffman, for what it's worth, has 73 receptions so far this year, two more than Maclin, for a total of 819 yards and seven touchdowns, two of which came in a crucial win over a surging Baylor team two weeks ago.

Coffman's ability to keep pace with Maclin, and, in so doing, lead the NCAA in receptions for a tight end, is notable not only because it has landed him on the Biletnikoff Award watch list (given to the best wide receiver in the country), but also since catching a lot of passes is one of the few ways Coffman can positively distinguish himself from his draft competition. Beckum, as mentioned, has a paltry 23 catches, none for points; Okie State's Brandon Pettigrew, higher than Coffman on many fantasy draft boards, has 28, also for no touchdowns. This lack of production kept Pettigrew, yet to become a game-breaker on the Cowboys' balanced offense, off the Biletnikoff watch list in favor of his counterpart, Dez Bryant (though the NFL has never particularly cared about who won what awards in college; ask Troy Smith if you don't believe me). Coffman is enough of a dynamic player to see an equal amount of catches, something he will have to play up to be the First TE Taken.

Now, for the drawbacks: at 6'6", 245 lbs, Coffman possesses a loping style of running (read: not fast), and his steps appear carefully chosen, even labored, on film. That said, he stands nearly a half-foot above your average linebacker-in-coverage, and he can still loft a dude when he needs to.

If he is to be the first TE taken, he will have to sell this gangliness to the NFL scouts, as it will definitely call into question whether he can throw a block without getting knocked on his ass (at Missouri, in the spread, he luckily hasn't had to; more on this in a moment). Okie State's Brandon Pettigrew, on the other hand, is a rawer talent offensively, yet boasts a stronger, better build and is more capable of blocking, while Wisconsin's Beckum has a more innovative route-running pattern, and speed to boot. If Coffman is done growing, bulking up, he might be considered too thin to be a viable TE on the line, and might slip through April undrafted.

Actually, it will be interesting to see whether Missouri's use of the spread impedes Coffman's attractiveness as a TE. This is not a player who gets open because of precise route-running. Coffman's receptions come from physical mismatches, quick drops, underneath routes, or blown coverages caused by a defense unable to defend against the spread, allowing Missouri to run up the score. His vision is what has allowed him to find openings in zone coverage, but Missouri's spread grants an edge in timing to the offense that will be nonexistent in the NFL, where offensive and defensive speed is evenly matched. With that in mind, NFL scouts might feel that, without innate speed, a majority of passes thrown Coffman's way won't get caught since a defender's helmet is slamming into his back as soon as the ball arrives; not exactly the recipe for a rookie of the year award. To silence this criticism, Coffman will have to show in camp that he is able to get open through precision and timing as well as vision: the old-fashioned way.

On the positive side, Coffman will join a growing corps of young, reception-focused tight ends, light on the blocking side, who have paved a path for him somewhat. Players like Bennett, who has filled in competently while Jason Witten battles various injuries; Dustin Keller of the New York Jets, who has had his best two games in the past week against the Rams and Patriots and is currently Favre's favorite target; and John Carlson, ex-Irishman, serving time as Seattle's best receiving option while the Seahawks struggle through a disappointing, injury-plagued year, are good indicators of what type of player Coffman will be. With the offensive development those rookies have made in the space of less than a year in mind, Coffman, hopefully, can promise a huge upside, and the team that takes him - probably with a fairly settled defense, yet lacking a breakaway tight end - must develop and play to Coffman's strengths, which will probably require expending a lot of time and resources. Some teams, luckily, can afford that. My guess for Coffman's future spot is with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will take him some time in round three.

What a week, I failed miserably on my predictions and I could not believe it was as bad as it was. Generally when the game is on the line the big performers will take over, however this week it seems that the guys I felt would be the go to or not go to guys when the game was on the line were not there for me. We all have our bad weeks. In this week I was only happy that most of my pickups were on target, however I felt that was the only way I helped you this week and I don't feel good about that. Hopefully I right this wrong from here on out because thats the only thing we can do is columnists after a bad week is succeed the next time.  

Week 11 Successes and Failures

Success- Bowe, D. Cutler, J. Shockey, J. Mcallister, D. Johnson, L. Rosenfels, S.  Thigpen, T. Hill, S. Avery, D.
Fail- Hightower, T. Driver, D. Daniels, O. Drew, Maurice J. Hill, J. Hasselbeck, M.

Surprises


Peyton Hillis -  Where did this guy come from, the Denver running game looked horrible but another Peyton in the NFL steals the show. This guy is a very good runner with unbelievable cutting skills, Looks like a very good pickup and not to mention he gets a favorable match up this week against a Raiders Defense that can not stop anyone. Great pickup this week.

Justin Gage - The Titans look unstoppable, and this guy broke for some very big pass plays. All the talk about Kerry Collins' age and his arm strength have been shut up the past couple of weeks and Gage has been the beneficiary. This week not so great of a match up if the Jets have one thing it is Darrelle Revis. The Titans will have a hard time running so we may see a huge game from Brandon Jones and Bo Scaife.

Matt Cassel - What a week for the rookie, set a NFL record and the next match up looks great this is a time to start all of your Patriots, the Dolphins pass defense isn't really great and coming off the performance this week Cassel will have a lot of security in throwing the pigskin.

Tyler Thigpen - I can not say anymore about this guy than I have said previously he has a lot of Talent, This week he has only Bowe to throw to and they will both have big games.

JJ Arrington - I hope that it was a fluke but he had a very big day, albeit it should have been Hightower, big day nonetheless.

Disappointments


Donovan McNabb - Also insert Brian Westbrook, Horrible game against the Bungals who they should have ripped apart. Every dog has his day and this is exactly the opposite of that comment.

Timmy Hightower - I can not contain my disappointment, and I have to admit it is not all his fault he is in a pass happy offense and when your backup comes into the game and blows up, really is not much you can do.

T.O. - Single digits the last 5 games, Grant it Romo was hurt, and like another 81 this year TO suffered, but still it is a big Disappointment for those who have him on their team.

David Garrard - The Titans really did not stop the running game, however Garrard couldn't sure up the win with his throws. He threw a bad pick and only threw for 135 yards the whole game, very big disappointment for the receivers. Very good for MJD.

Antonio Gates - Best TE of the year? I think if he keeps having games where he gets 2 catches for 10 yards he may drop around 30 spots in the draft next year. It only gets worse for him with LT "really back."

W2W4

Titans Offense how involved does Justin Gage get?
Clinton Portis is he a go and how solid of a go is he?
Does Kellen Winslow go?
Can Phillip Rivers pass the ball?
Does Matt Cassel Break 25 points again?
Does Randy moss outshine Wes Welker?

Just the many things I will be watching for this week, As always best of luck in your match ups this week and stay tuned to FFcollective for all your up to the minutes fantasy news and advice. DivineGuru signing out.

Whether you're way ahead and starting to look at the fantasy playoffs or if you're struggling just to make them, this article is for you! We'll show you who to target for the stretch run and who to target for the fantasy playoffs. We'll also let you know who's going to have a tough time. It's never too soon to be looking at the playoffs, unless you're not quite there and you need everything you can get to make it in.

QB's to TARGET

Peyton Manning - If you need a QB, you may want to make a play for Peyton Manning. The Colts play the Steelers this weekend and they're 2nd in the league at giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks. After Pittsburgh, the Colts have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. They play Houston, San Diego, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. They then play Detroit and Oakland in the playoffs. When you look at fantasy points given up to quarterbacks, those teams are 26th, 30th, 15th, 21st, 31st, and 24th respectively. You can't ask for better match-ups than that.

Marc Bulger - The toughest team the Rams have left on their schedule at giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks is Chicago at 11th best. The Cardinals are 29th, the Dolphins are 23rd, the Jets are 27th, and the 49ers are 16th. The Rams then play 31st ranked Seattle and 16th ranked San Francisco in the fantasy playoffs. That's a pretty favorable schedule for a quarterback and the Rams offense has enough weapons to score points against those teams.

RB's to TARGET

Ronnie Brown - If you have a team that is going to make it to the playoffs, look at trading for Brown. Except for the Patriots, Miami has some great match-ups down the stretch. If you look at fantasy points allowed to running backs, Denver is 31st, Seattle is 18th, Oakland is 29th, New England is 8th, St. Louis is 30th, and Buffalo is 17th. They play the 26th ranked 49ers and 32nd ranked Chiefs in the fantasy playoffs. It doesn't get much better than that.

Tim Hightower - The Arizona offense has been one of the best in fantasy football this year. It looked even better last week with Hightower in the lineup. With the Arizona passing game, he'll almost never see 8 men in the box. The thing is, even when the Cardinals play a team that is good against the run, Hightower will still get some catches and all the goal line carries. That's a powerful combination. He'll do better in the stretch run than he will in the playoffs. So, if you still need to scratch to make it to the playoffs, Hightower could be valuable down the stretch. In looking at fantasy points to running backs, Arizona plays 26th ranked San Fransisco at home, 19th ranked Seattle on the road, the 2nd ranked New York Giants at home, 4th ranked Philadelphia on the road, and they end the season with 30th ranked St Louis at home. He'll have a little more trouble in the playoffs as he plays 3rd ranked Minnesota at home and 8th ranked New England on the road. He should still have 2 good games though. Both of those teams have a good run defense, but their pass defense is not as good. That means the Cardinals passing attack should be able to move the ball and back up the defense. That way Hightower will get some catches and some touchdowns, and that will open up some running lanes for some rushing yards. The whole Arizone offense could be a factor down the stretch.

WR's to Target

Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Boldin – Kurt Warner, and the Arizona Cardinals offense, is ranked 2nd in the league in passing yards and 2nd in touchdowns. They only play 1 team that ranks in the top 10 in fantasy points to wide receivers and that's the 4th Eagles. They also play the Seahawks, who rank 31st, and the Rams, who rank 29th. The other games are the 17th ranked 49ers, and the 16th ranked Giants. They play the 13th ranked Vikings and the 22nd ranked Patriots in the fantasy playoffs. That's a schedule that can help win a championship.

Donnie Avery - Since the Rams changed coaches, Avery has averaged almost 20 fantasy points a game in PPR leagues. He's fast, he's quick, and he can get open. If Bulger has the protection, he can get the ball to the open man. The offense needs Steven Jackson to be the most effective and he should be back soon. The Rams schedule looks pertty good when you look at fantasy points given up to wide receivers. They have 2 road games against the 14th ranked Jets and the 18th ranked 49ers. Then they have 2 home games against the 32nd ranked Bears and the 26th ranked Dolphins. They finsh on the road against the 25th ranked Cardinals. The playoffs is where Avery could shine even more as the Rams have 2 home games against the 31st ranked Seahawks and the 18th ranked 49ers.

QB's to Avoid

David Garrard - Gerrard hasn't been having the best of years. His line has been banged-up all year and the running game has not been getting it done. This week they get to play Detoit, though, so all the Jaguars should have a pretty good game against the worst defense in the league. From then on out, though, the schedule gets tougher and they end the year with some really bad match-ups. Looking at fantasy points to quarterbacks, they play the 2nd ranked Titans next week. Then they play the 14th ranked Vikings, the 26th ranked Texans, and the 11th ranked Bears to end the fantasy regular season. They get the 8th ranked Packers and the #1 ranked Colts in the playoffs. I just don't see anyone winning a championship with Gerrard.

Tony Romo - The Cowboys have a bye this week. Romo should be back from a broken finger the following week. The Dallas offense has been non-existent without Tony the last few weeks. When he gets back they hope to put it all back together. I think the offense will still be out of synce when he 1st gets back. If you look at fantasy point given up to quarterbacks, the Cowboys play the 13th ranked Redskins and the 15th ranked 49ers in the 1st 2 games he's back. He should get it together in time to play the 31st ranked Seahawks after that and the whole team will have a great day. They play the 3rd ranked Steelers in the final game of the fantasy regular season. In the playoffs, they get the 4th ranked Giants and the 14th ranked Ravens. Don't get me wrong, Romo is going to score some points. I just don't see him finishing the season nearly as good as he started it.

RB's to Avoid

Michael Turner - What you want to do with Turner depends on your standings. If you're way out in front, you want to trade him. If you're struggling to make it, you want to keep him. Let me explain. The Atlanta offense has been good against bad teams and bad against good teams. The schedule down the stretch looks pretty good. They play 16th ranked New Orleans, 31st ranked Denver, 9th ranked Carolina, 21st ranked SD, and 16th ranked New Orleans again to end the fantasy regular season. The problem comes in the playoffs. The Falcons play 6th ranked Tampa Bay and 3rd ranked Minnesota in the fantasy playoffs. You may want to look at someone with better match-ups in the playoffs if you want to win a championship.

Marion Barber - Barber has been a beast this year. He started the year great, but he's been limited the last few games since Romo got hurt. He's currently the number 2 ranked running back in a standard league. Only Portis has more points. The Cowboys have a bye this week and Tony Romo should be back in week 11. The problem is the schedule. If you look at fantasy points to running backs and the up-coming schedule, it doesn't look that bad. They have a couple of good match-ups and a couple are not as good. They play the 7th ranked Redskins, the 27th ranked 49ers, the 19th ranked Seahawks, and the 5th ranked Steelers. In the fantasy playoffs, though, the Cowboys play the 2 teams that give up the least fantasy points to running backs in the league. The New York Giants are 2nd in fantasy points to running backs and Baltimore is 1st. Neither of those games are very attractive.

WR's to Avoid

Andre Johnson - Johnson has been lights-out the last few weeks. He started slow and then caught fire. That may change, starting this week. Houston has a brutal schedule the rest of the fantasy year. Including the playoffs, the Texans play 5 of 7 games against top 10 teams in fantasy points given up to wide receivers. That includes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 9th. He has 2 good match-ups with 30th ranked Cleveland and 20th ranked Jacksonville, but the other 5 are brutal.. In the next 2 weeks, they play 3rd ranked Baltimore and the #1 Colts. After the 2 decent weeks, Houston plays 5th ranked Green Bay the last week of the regular fantasy season. They play 5th ranked Tennessee and the 9th ranked Raiders in the playoffs. He should struggle against a few of those good teams and not give you the points you need for a championship.

Terrell Owens - The Cowboys season and Owens' season are a mirror of each other. They both started strong and have struggled since. The thinking is that TO and the Cowboy offense will get going again when Romo gets back. The problem is that they were struggling before Tony got hurt. Not as bad as after, but struggling just the same. Owens is currently the 15th ranked wide receiver in a standard scoring league. He'll fall a little more this week because he's on a bye. He only has 35 catches on the year and a 13.3 yard per catch average. In looking at fantasy point given up to wide receivers, they play the 11th ranked Redskins, the 17th ranked 49ers, the 31st ranked Seahawks, and the 6th ranked Steelers. He'll be up and down in those games. Then they play the 17th ranked Giants, who always play the Cowboys tough, and the 3rd ranked Ravens in the playoffs. I just don't see him playing as well to end the season as he played to start it.

With the right moves now, you may be putting that fantasy championship trophy on your mantle!

Going into Sunday's matchup I felt comfortable with all my guys, most were surprises but the disappointments were there too, I have yet to see a week when my teams all ran over 100 points and some of them have the same players, mixed in the fray. I picked up Ben Jarvis Green Ellis this week as I felt as If I couldn't hold out any longer, As I am writing this piece Quinn-Winslow have combined for 2 touchdowns and I'm sitting here dumbfounded for not picking up Brady Quinn. As for week 9 awards were handed out for the first half of the season, but no first half can cement into stone the final verdict and any week those awards can change.

Surprises
Anthony Gonzalez - From out of the blue comes the 3rd receiver from the Colts to save Manning's season, we saw Dallas Clark do it last week, and this week Gonzo cemented his name into that offense.

Gus Bus - Who would have believed when he took over as QB of the Minnesota Vikings he would have been this consistent over the last 4 weeks there have been few to score in the league of Gus in fantasy brackets.

Timmy Hightower - The touchdown Vulture has become the starter in Arizona, and don't look to this man for a sign of things to come, I have been preaching about Hightower since week one.

Ocho Cinqo -Welcome back to fantasy relevance Mr. Johnson albeit for one week.

Fast Willie - Welcome back to the game, he takes all the carries and goes berserk his first week back then he loses his QB, Those FP he scored this week may be a sign of things to come.

Disappointments

The other 81 - Where oh where is Randy Moss, Looked good the last game I saw but this week looked a bit of the same Randy being open and Cassel not being able to get it to him. I sob everyday with you Randy I wish he were back too.

Hines Ward - One of the best players in football and a few catches for 39 yards, Grant it Big Ben went out for a half but still for a receiver of his caliber a poor showing.

Matt Schaub - He was on fire for four weeks and took a hit in the first half and was out he never even got to throw a touchdown, what a tough break for those who owned him.

Jo Addai - Granted it was his first week back, but he was playing New England, They can be run all over and he should have went off his first game back but 50 something yards isn't going off.

Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo's run game is looking worse by the minute, Lynch is catching passes just to gain yardage. Look for poorer times ahead no easy matchups.

Well this week is done, I am going to get back to the Browns and the Broncos, As always stay tuned to FFcollective for all the latest updates, fantasy news and advice, DivineGuru Signing off.