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Archive for October, 2007
The Marcus Camby Quandary
Wednesday, October 10th, 2007Tuesday Morning Quarterback
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007By Robby Wellington – Staff Writer
Dealing with a winless betting article a couple of weeks back and a major harasser posting on the site, I have simply had too frail of an ego to post anything on RotoScoop in quite some time. I have finally summoned the courage to do so; be kind.
Ronnie Brown isn’t a top-5 pick, he’s a top-3 pick.
The calling of a timeout right before a player kicks a field goal is ridiculous, especially when the clock is stopped. Once the center goes down into his crouch, only a player on the field should be allowed to call a timeout.
I have better hands than TO. He may, however, have a narrow edge on me in physical attributes.
Speaking of timeouts, it seems as if timeouts are never called with the same sense of urgency as they are in other pro sports, namely basketball. How often do you see a team/coach run 5-10 seconds off the clock before leisurely calling a timeout. Wade Phillips did so a couple of times Monday, and it’s just plain silly.
I’m surprised Trent Edwards couldn’t pull it out last night. All that guy did in college was win football games. He’s like the white Vince Young. The Bills just need Kwame Harris to protect his blind side.
Speaking of Stanford football, we shocked the world on Saturday and the voters took notice as we garnered 4 top-25 votes, twice as many as UCLA! I’m already checking out plane tickets to New Orleans.
And speaking of Stanford sports, I don’t know if any of you caught my SAE brother Ryan Garko celebrating in the Indians locker room, but he was doing a “Full Extension,” a social movement taking our nation by storm!
Speaking of starting every line with “speaking of,” my league uses Fanball, which has a great waiver system and allows us to post obscene pictures on our message board and as team logos. Other than that, Fanball is run by a bunch of jokers. It’s bad enough that they preach “do the opposite” which means don’t draft a running back with your first two picks (all right, not necessarily a bad strategy this year) and keep trying to hit me up for $30 to tell me who to start. This week, in the ten most recent newsbreakers, Fanball referred to Travis Henry as T-Hen and followed that brilliant gem up with T-Jack (Tarvaris Jackson). Ugh.
Players to target in trades this week: Jon Kitna, Matt Hasselbeck, Tony Romo, Kurt Warner, Willie Parker, Frank Gore, Donald Driver, Marques Colston.
Players to deal away this week: Derek Anderson, Philip Rivers, Tory Holt, Steve Smith, Tatum Bell, Michael Turner, Kenton Keith, Maurice Jones-Drew.
The Office is funnier than any show on television, including HBO (plus I’m sooooo glad that Jim and Pam have gone public 
)
I don’t see the Pats-Cowboys spread up yet, but I’m guessing -6.5, and I’m taking the Pats. I’d probably set it at 9.5.
Laurence Maroney missing two straight games has kind of gone under the radar. When he returns I look for him to be no more than a middling RB2 with Sammy Morris still a worthy flex guy.
Just like Tony Romo (my star quarterback) I had an off week, played poorly, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, am good-looking and sit at 5-0. And, considering that I’m forced to start Ron Dayne and two TBD scrubs off waivers this week, I’ll also be 5-1, just like Romo.
Barometer
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007Check out this week’s Barometer.
Monday Morning Quarterback
Monday, October 8th, 2007By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
The next time I hear someone proclaim that this team beat that team and therefore relating past events to future predictions, I’m changing the channel. If you haven’t learned the transitive property doesn’t apply to the NFL by now, you never will. Onto my thoughts from Week 5 from around the league:
The Trent Green block was shady, but watching Travis Johnson stand over someone unconscious and taunt a possibly paralyzed man was brutal. Unfortunate circumstances all around…The scarecrow wasn’t the one missing courage, by the way. That would be the lion…With Green’s concussion history, it would seem like a long shot that he plays again this season, wouldn’t it?…Owen Daniels is having one of the better fantasy seasons that’s flying under the radar…All things considered, Ron Dayne’s performance against the league’s worst rush defense was very disappointing…If a fantasy draft were held today, would Ronnie Brown be a top-5 pick?
Anyone who started Jacksonville’s defense in fantasy leagues has to be frustrated – they had a shutout until the last play of the game…Not sure why Maurice Jones-Drew was limited to nine carries, but it was nice to see him finally break one off. Expect more big plays from MJD moving forward…Larry Johnson is averaging 3.3 YPC and has yet to score a TD this season.
I’m liking Derek Anderson more and more as a fantasy quarterback; the poor Cleveland defense ensures the Browns have to pass a lot, as will the inept running game. Also, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow represent legitimate options in the passing game, with Joe Jurevicius a solid red zone target to boot. He’s getting 7.9 YPA and has thrown 10 touchdowns during his four starts. However, because Brady Quinn is almost certainly going to take over at some point, Anderson’s value is only short-term…I’m beginning to think Tom Brady is pretty good at this quarterback business…Sammy Morris is better than I thought.
I preached patience before, but you simply cannot start Drew Brees in fantasy leagues at this point. He has 11 times as many turnovers as he does touchdowns this season…For all of Sean Payton’s much-deserved praise last year, remember, this is a guy who once had play-calling duties relinquished mid-season by Jim Fassel…Put a fork in these Saints, they’re done…Nice to see Devery Henderson is alive and breathing…If you can trade Steve Smith for Plaxico Burress, do it.
Paging Kellen Clemens – Chad Pennington’s status as starter has an expiration date…Is there a worse run blocking unit other than the Jets’?…Brandon Jacobs looked great Sunday, exhibiting both power and the speed to get to the outside. He was a bogus holding penalty away from adding another 25-yard TD run onto an already impressive return from a knee injury. I’d treat him like a top-15 fantasy back right now – make sure your league mates do as well.
Santonio Holmes, everyone involved would appreciate it if you time your injuries a little differently from now on…Home/road splits are typically an unimportant stat in the NFL, but there’s something to it when it comes to Willie Parker. Last year, he averaged 3.5 YPC on the road and 5.2 YPC at home. This season, it’s 3.2 YPC when playing away and 4.8 YPC while at home…Shaun Alexander has averaged fewer than 4.0 YPC in 12 of his last 15 games. He has two favorable matchups coming up, but after that, I’d be trying to sell that stock like I’m Arthur Frobisher.
In Gus we trust? Hardly, but Frerotte was an obvious upgrade over an injured Marc Bulger, at least for fantasy purposes…Larry Fitzgerald is a top-5 and maybe even top-3 fantasy WR every game he plays without Anquan Boldin…Go ahead and make Kurt Warner your top waiver priority this week. He has the weapons and plays in the right division to be a QB1 for as long as Matt Leinart is sidelined.
The Falcons/Titans game was unwatchable. The quarterbacks combined for five interceptions with zero TDs. In all, there were seven turnovers, and the defenses accounted for more touchdowns (2) than the offenses (1) did…The Tose is Loose! Artose Pinner averaged 49.0 YPC Sunday…I’m telling you, Roddy White is going to finish with some nice numbers this season.
After a couple of lackluster performances and the bye week coming up, see how much it’d take to pry Kevin Jones off an opponents’ hands. He’ll be closer to 100 percent when he next takes the field (Week 7), and his touches are only going to increase from here on out. Despite Sunday’s evidence to the contrary, it’s a good Detroit offense, and he’ll be very active in the passing game. He’s the type of player to gamble on who could end up winning your league for you…Mike Sellers made some vicious runs Sunday, and now Clinton Portis owners have to hope he’s not the team’s new goal line back.
It’s official – there need not any more evidence that running back is the most fungible position in football. Hello Kenton Keith…Do you realize Ike Hilliard has five more catches and just two fewer yards than Joey Galloway this season?…Mewelde Moore is a sneaky guy to stash in fantasy leagues right now. Already in trade talks with Tampa Bay, the Bucs will be even more eager to deal now that Michael Pittman is injured. MeMo is a dynamic back, averaging 4.9 YPC throughout his career and is a terrific receiver out of the backfield. He’s a deep sleeper who could pay major dividends down the road.
So maybe this Broncos team has some problems, after all…It looks like Jay Cutler’s path to Canton might hit a few unexpected bumps; still, his peripherals are pretty impressive, so expect more TD passes moving forward…Anyone who owns Michael Turner but not LaDainian Tomlinson should go try to hijack the LT owner with Turner’s performance fresh in mind…I was wrong stating in the preseason that Antonio Gates was a terrific third round pick – he should have been going in round 2…San Diego looked great and Tomlinson added 73 receiving yards, but his 3.2 YPC is actually pretty worrisome considering the game’s conditions and the fact Denver entered with the league’s second worst run defense. The 3.2 YPC was actually his second best effort of the season…Travis Henry to take a lie detector test? Let’s hope he doesn’t watch “Melrose Place.”
If you didn’t watch “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Sunday, you’re really missing out. If you didn’t watch the Ravens/49ers game Sunday, I’m jealous.
Looks like all of that FAAB spent on DeShawn Wynn may pay off, after all…If Cedric Benson performed his job this way in any profession other than football, he’d almost certainly be demoted by now…Greg Olsen is going to be a very good tight end in this league…I’m not sure if I’d rather own Donald Driver or Greg Jennings in fantasy leagues right now, but I do know it’s a toss up.
Bet on It
Saturday, October 6th, 2007By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
I went 8-6 last week to bring my overall record to 26-31-5. My best bet, the Dolphins, lost, so I’m 2-2 in that regard. My colleague Chris Liss over at RotoWire went 12-2 ATS, and he was 12-1 entering Monday night. Pretty crazy. At this point of the season, it’s time to throw out preconceived notions about last year that you had entering this one; the Browns aren’t a doormat. The Chargers and Ravens aren’t elite teams. The Falcons are better than their record and Vegas give them credit for. The Titans are Super Bowl contenders. The Lions may actually be better than most realize. Onto the Week 5 picks:
Cardinals -3.5 at Rams
Falcons +8 at Titans
Panthers +3 at Saints (Best Bet)
Browns +17 at Patriots
Lions +3.5 at Redskins
Jaguars -2 at Chiefs
Dolphins +5.5 at Texans
Jets +3.5 at Giants
Seahawks +6 at Steelers
Buccaneers +10 at Colts
Ravens -3 at 49ers
Chargers +1 at Broncos
Bears +3 at Packers
Cowboys -10 at Bills
Comments: The Saints are close to ranking dead last in the NFL in offense and defense and lost both times they faced the Panthers last season. Still, that information isn’t enough to sway my David Carr bias, and coming off a bye, New Orleans’ entire season is essentially on the line. Back the Saints, who are more desperate.
Week 5 Lineup Rankings
Thursday, October 4th, 2007By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
Quarterbacks
1. Tom Brady
2. Tony Romo
3. Peyton Manning
4. Jon Kitna
5. Vince Young
6. Drew Brees
7. Eli Manning
8. Ben Roethlisberger
9. Jay Cutler
10. Matt Schaub
11. Matt Hasselbeck
12. Jason Campbell
13. Chad Pennington
14. David Garrard
15. Joey Harrington
16. Gus Frerotte
17. Trent Green
18. Brett Favre
19. Brian Griese
20. Jeff Garcia
21. Philip Rivers
22. Derek Anderson
23. Matt Leinart
24. Steve McNair
25. Trent Edwards
26. Damon Huard
27. David Carr
28. Trent Dilfer
Running Backs
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Ronnie Brown
3. Willie Parker
4. Reggie Bush
5. Edgerrin James
6. Larry Johnson
7. Joseph Addai/Kenton Keith
8. Frank Gore
9. Travis Henry/Selvin Young
10. Laurence Maroney/Sammy Morris
11. Clinton Portis/Ladell Betts
12. Willis McGahee
13. Ron Dayne (assuming Ahman Green sits)
14. Marshawn Lynch
15. Shaun Alexander
16. Brandon Jacobs
17. Maurice Jones-Drew
18. DeShaun Foster
19. Marion Barber
20. Thomas Jones
21. Cedric Benson
22. Brian Leonard
23. Kevin Jones
24. LenDale White
25. Fred Taylor
26. Michael Pittman
27. Earnest Graham
28. Julius Jones
29. Jamal Lewis
30. Warrick Dunn
31. Derrick Ward
32. DeAngelo Williams
33. Jerious Norwood
34. Vernand Morency/DeShawn Wynn
35. Chris Brown
36. Tatum Bell
37. Leon Washington
38. Michael Turner
Wide Receivers
1. Randy Moss
2. Terrell Owens
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Plaxico Burress
5. Larry Fitzgerald
6. Roy Williams
7. Steve Smith
8. Marques Colston
9. Torry Holt
10. Chris Chambers
11. Braylon Edwards
12. Laveranues Coles
13. Joey Galloway
14. Lee Evans
15. Donald Driver
16. Santonio Holmes
17. Jerricho Cotchery
18. Calvin Johnson
19. Brandon Marshall
20. Deion Branch
21. Bernard Berrian
22. Derrick Mason
23. Dwayne Bowe
24. Vincent Jackson
25. Roddy White
26. Wes Welker
27. Geg Jennings
28. Patrick Crayton
29. Andre Davis
30. Darrell Jackson
31. Antwaan Randle El
32. Drew Bennett
33. Shaun McDonald
34. Muhsin Muhammad
35. Marty Booker
36. Brandon Jones
37. Michael Jenkins
38. Brandon Stokley
39. James Jones
40. Anthony Gonzalez
Note: These rankings assume Marvin Harrison, Anquan Boldin, Hines Ward, Javon Walker and Isaac Bruce all miss Sunday’s game.
Division Series Preview
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Comments: A squad with a 4.73 team ERA faces one with a 4.32 mark. Regular season offensive production has shown no correlation to postseason success, but that really doesn’t help in predicting this series much, since both teams will be relying on their sticks. The Rockies made a remarkable run to get into the playoffs, so they may just be happy to be here. Then again, they are the hottest team in the league. Still, the Phillies at least have a top flight starter and an offense that finished second only to the Yankees in runs scored this season (the Rockies did manage the second most runs in the NL). Colorado fields the best defensive team in the Senior Circuit, but ultimately, the Phillies have too much firepower.
Phillies 3-1.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs
Comments: The Diamondbacks were outscored on the year by 20 runs yet finished with the NL’s best record. The team no doubt entered 2007 with a bright future, but Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Chad Tracy and Chris Young (although it was a fantastic fantasy year) all had very disappointing seasons. Oh, and Randy Johnson was also lost for the year. Still, somehow this team is playing in October, and with Brandon Webb possibly factoring into two of the five games, they have a legitimate chance at moving on. Still, the Cubs staff is deeper, and the lineup is better.
Cubs 3-1.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
Comments: The Red Sox allowed the fewest runs in major league baseball this season. Factoring in ballpark effects and their division, there might not be a more impressive statistic. Their offense scored the fourth most runs in baseball, and that was with Manny Ramirez missing 30 games and finishing with his lowest OPS since his rookie season. They are 8-4 during their last 12 games against the Angels and 18-6 during their last 24 games versus the Halos at Fenway. However, this Angels team is not to be mistaken with a doormat and enters with a solid starting rotation and bullpen. Still, Boston is more well rounded.
Red Sox 3-2.
Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees
Comments: The Yankees led MLB in runs scored (by 76 runs), batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. That’s pretty good, especially when you consider their ballpark is very tough on right-handed hitters. The pitching staff hasn’t exactly matched the offensive output, and Cleveland not only has the likely Cy Young winner but also a deserving candidate as their No. 2 starter as well. However, the rival Red Sox did them a favor in choosing the format, as C.C. Sabathia would have to come back on just three days’ rest in order to get two starts out of both, whereas that’s not the case in the other AL series. It’s a huge advantage for the Yankees, who have a deeper staff than the Indians. And with Joba Chamberlain becoming a dominant setup man, a once weak link has really been shored up in New York. The Yankees have been pedestrian against left-handed pitching this year (20-18), so if Sabathia gets two starts, Cleveland has a real chance at taking this series. Still, do you feel safe with Joe Borowski protecting a one-run lead against this lineup? Neither do I.
Yankees 3-2.
As for the eventual World Series champ – I picked the Yankees to win it all before the season began and see no reason to change that prediction now.
Undervalued Players: Part Two
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007Barometer
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007Check out this week’s edition of Risers and Fallers.
Monday Morning Quarterback
Monday, October 1st, 2007By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
For those of you counting at home, that’s three straight impressive efforts from Joey Harrington. Despite a 1-3 record, I’m convinced Bobby Petrino can be a successful NFL head coach…Roddy White didn’t put up eye-popping stats Sunday, but he continued to be targeted and pulled in a terrific 34-yard catch. He’s going to be a solid WR3 from here on out…DeMeco Ryans might be the NFL’s best kept secret.
If you missed the first half of the Jets/Bills tilt, consider yourself lucky…Chad Pennington throws a pretty fade route, but the windy New York does no favors to his weak arm…Finally, the Jets have made a conscious effort to get Leon Washington involved…Trent Edwards had about as good of a first NFL start as one can hope for, and it looks like Lee Evans’ fantasy value isn’t dead after all.
R.I.P., vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense…Braylon Edwards is the NFL’s next superstar at wideout…The same could be said about Kellen Winslow at tight end…Derek Anderson is currently getting 8.3 YPA.
I already have the October 14 Dallas vs. New England game circled on my calendar…Don’t look now, but the Cowboys defense has really improved with each passing game…Jason Witten has to be treated like the third best fantasy tight end from this point forward…I want to have Tony Romo’s children…The numbers don’t show it, but Brian Leonard looked like he’ll be a more than capable fill-in; if only the once potent Rams offense didn’t look like the worst in the league.
Call me crazy, but I’m not kicking the ball to Devin Hester…I want to give Brian Griese more than one start before rushing to judgment, but Chicago’s offense appears to be in big trouble this season…And part of the problem is Cedric Benson, who is simply a poor excuse for an NFL running back…Kevin Jones might not be a terrible buy-low guy right now.
Let me offer a personal apology to Raider fans: I’m sorry, this team is probably winning more than the 2-3 games I expected…There will never be a better fantasy game from a quarterback who threw for only 72 yards than Daunte Culpepper’s effort Sunday…I’m beginning to think Miami’s run defense just isn’t very good…If a fantasy draft were held today, I’m making Ronnie Brown a top-10 pick.
Quick, try to name the Vikings’ starting wide receivers…Certainly not from a fantasy standpoint – Brad Childress would have none of that – but Adrian Peterson right now is a top-5 NFL running back when on the field…Take a look at the NFC North standings. Can you say bizarro world?
The Carnell Williams injury was brutal – one of those where you just knew it was season-ending the moment it happened…If there’s someone in your league who still values DeAngelo Williams’ upside, go ahead and deal him for 75 cents on the dollar…This just in: David Carr is not a very good NFL quarterback…And to think, I almost had Ike Hilliard in my lineup…There hasn’t been a more overrated team over the past few years than the Carolina Panthers
Thank God I turned down 49er tickets this week – I became a worse football player just watching Trent Dilfer play the position Sunday…Gutsy call by Mike Nolan to start the second half with an onside kick. Too bad Dilfer spoiled it with a back-breaking INT immediately afterward – Remember, this guy has a Super Bowl ring…Somebody please get a body bag for Shaun Alexander…Is there anyone out there who actually enjoys Tony Siragusa as a commentator?
It’s official – teams with former coaches have an advantage when playing their previous employer…The Matt Leinart, Kurt Warner QB carousel means neither can be used in fantasy leagues…It’s time to stop considering a matchup with Arizona a good one for your fantasy players.
If Selvin Young is available in your fantasy league stop reading this and go change that immediately…As long as he’s healthy, Dallas Clark is a top-5 fantasy tight end…Can’t wait to see what Reggie Wayne does if Marvin Harrison misses some time.
Norv Turner is getting most of the blame, but the Wade Phillips to Ted Cottrell coaching switch on the defensive side of the ball might be the bigger and more important downgrade that was made over the offseason…I’m jealous of anyone who owns Antonio Gates in a fantasy league…Dwayne Bowe is an absolute beast. With every ridiculous play after the catch he makes, I’m less optimistic about JaMarcus Russell’s NFL future…This Kansas City defense is legit.
Osi Umenyiora might as well have been at an amusement park last night, as Winston Justice was a human turnstile. 12 sacks is a pretty good way to combat a subpar secondary…There probably isn’t a bigger high-risk, high-reward fantasy player than Brian Westbrook…If there’s a better red zone target than Plaxico Burress, I can’t think of one…Should be interesting to see what the Giants do with Brandon Jacobs back in the mix. Derrick Ward was awfully good in his stead.