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Tuesday Morning Quarterback

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

After a 3.9 YPA effort Sunday, Alex Smith has gotten 5.9 YPA with a 19:31 TD:INT ratio during his career. It often takes time for quarterbacks to learn the position, but there’s not much to be optimistic about here. He should have became a scientist or something…San Francisco has very little to cheer about these days, but at least the team hit a home run with the Patrick Willis pick, and Vernon Davis does resemble a future superstar…I have no idea who the Seahawks got in return for Darrell Jackson, but I do know they won that trade…Can’t wait to see what Roddy White will do with a quarterback willing to go downfield. Byron Leftwich isn’t very good, but he will help White’s stats, that’s for sure.

It’s long past time to start considering this Bengals team as a doormat…Lost in the Adrian Peterson hoopla is a terrific rookie season by Marshawn Lynch, who ripped off a couple of sick runs Sunday. He’ll be a first round fantasy pick next season…If loving Lee Evans is wrong, then I don’t want to be right…Kenny Watson simply has to be on the field more than Rudi Johnson.

This Broncos team is baaaad – it’s entirely possible that they have both the worst pass defense (8.5 YPA last in league, 15 TD passes allowed) and run defense (161.5 YPG last in league) in the NFL…I expected more from Roy Williams this season…And yes, Shaun Rogers’ TD was one of the coolest plays so far this year.

I’m writing an open apology to Brett Favre, who I had completely written off entering the year. Sure, he’s still mistake-prone, but the 38-year-old is making some of the most impressive deep throws week in and week out…Greg Jennings is a top-15 WR for fantasy purposes…Looks like Larry Johnson is the latest 370-plus carries victim. I predict this injury is much more serious than the team is letting on…I’m saying it now, Kolby Smith is going to have serious fantasy value over the rest of the season…It’s becoming tiresome, but I’m going to bring up these ridiculous coaching decisions until sanity prevails: the Chiefs went for a 2-point conversion up 20-16 with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter Sunday. Someone, please make it stop.

I hate coming across as this generation is better than the past, but Adrian Peterson right now looks like the best running back in the history of the league. Sure, there are plenty of areas in his game he can improve on (blocking, receiving, fumbling), but this guy is virtually unstoppable in the open field. He might literally be both the fastest and strongest RB I’ve ever seen. His strength cannot be underestimated. Durability is something that can’t be overlooked at this stage, but Peterson is the most valuable fantasy commodity right now…Philip Rivers is maddeningly inconsistent.

Looking at their cupcake schedule, I wasn’t willing to fully consider the Saints as “back.” I was wrong and they are. Since I picked them as NFC Super Bowl representatives before the season started, I’m pleasantly surprised too. In a watered down conference, they are very much in the thick of it…When Quinn Gray and Reggie Williams are burning you for an 80-yard score, it’s time to look in the mirror, Jason David.

Not playing alongside Laveranues Coles helped, but I really think Jerricho Cotchery can have serious fantasy value with Kellen Clemens at the helm…Nice to see Clinton Portis has something left in the tank, but I’d be shopping him like crazy this week…One of the most impressive stat lines of Week 9 had to be David Harris for the Jets, who recorded 24 tackles (20 solo) Sunday. Sure, he was able to do so because he was playing on a defense allowing first down after first down, but it’s an impressive number nevertheless.

Playing in Tampa Bay is one of the toughest places to score points right now…Earnest Graham is pretty good, and the team hardly missed a beat with the Carnell Williams injury. That said, stashing Michael Pittman is a pretty good idea, especially in PPR leagues…Remember when everyone was burning their FAAB on Michael Bennett? Good times.

It’s ironic, but the worst thing for this Titans franchise long-term might be all of this winning going on now. This team has zero upside come playoff time with the way the aerial attack is set up. It’s a shame too, because the defense is a top-3 unit in all of football…If I’m an NFL GM, I’m starting Jeff George at quarterback before I do David Carr again…LenDale White is the new Eddie George – terrible YPC yet terrific fantasy player.

Matt Hasselbeck should be considered a top 5-8 fantasy QB from here on out. Seattle has no running game, an easy upcoming schedule and Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett back in the lineup…If you can trade Shaun Alexander for Selvin Young or Kolby Smith, I’d do it…I want to have Derek Anderson’s children…This Browns team is easily the most fun to watch in the NFL.

The Patriots/Colts game was good, not great. You just got the feeling neither team played even close to their potential, especially on the offensive side of the ball…Fully aware the Colts have the best pass defense in the league, I didn’t like the Pats going more run-heavy than usual, as that’s not their game…Randy Moss is the best receiver in the NFL…There’s not a better cut-back runner than Joseph Addai right now…If these two teams played five times at the RCA Dome, I’d expect the Colts to win three of them. The only problem is, with the loss Sunday, the next time these two will meet will almost certainly be in Foxborough. I’ll go ahead and place the odds of New England going undefeated this season at 75 percent.

Justin Fargas, AKA Huggy Bear Jr., has to be owned in all fantasy leagues and above any other Oakland RB. This team’s run blocking is actually pretty good – Tom Cable is no joke…I got tickets for the upcoming Colts/Raiders game before the season started, and it’s safe to say I may end up watching a game that won’t be a nail-biter. There might be a slight discrepancy in QB talent there…Question: What is a pork burrito from “Chipotle,” a six-pack of Newcastle, or a copy of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows.” Answer: Things I’d trade Ahman Green for.

The only people who consider the Eagles anything but a bad football team haven’t watched them play this season…I’d place the odds of Donovan McNabb wearing an Eagles jersey next season at five percent…Why o why do I pass on Brian Westbrook every year? He’s easily a top-5 RB right now…If I could have the Cowboys and you can have the field to win the NFC, that’s a bet I’d be willing to make. Although Green Bay’s defense is for real.

It’s very clear that there are a big-three in the NFL right now, and the Steelers belong in that group…Steve McNair is currently one of the three worst quarterbacks in the league…Mobility might not be the right word, but Ben Roethlisberger has tremendous footwork and pocket presence. His ability to slide both inside and outside the pocket is second to none, and he’s easily one of the five most important players in the NFL today…If you own Hines Ward in your fantasy league and looked at the box score this morning, you were dumbfounded.

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15 responses to “Tuesday Morning Quarterback”

  1. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    Triple-D, you know all about my non-sexual crush on AD, which passed George Costanza’s love for Elaine’s b/f “Tony” at some point back in September. But let’s not go handing him Jim Brown’s crown just yet, from what old footage I have seen that guy was like an Abrams tank in a bumper-car arena, I think he could’ve handily whipped the ass of practically any defender in the league in a barfight. And I fear the jinx, my man, I fear it. I’m only 5-4 b/c of terrible luck and cannot afford to lose my prize pony now.

  2. chad Avatar
    chad

    I hate my league format… there’s a move cap at 17. I just used my 17th move. Nearly the whole league is approaching this deadly number. I’m the points leader, but I sit in 5th 6-3. my team is stacked, and for the sake of chris henry, I hope ochocinco misses time.

    anyway, my unrelated question, is mcnair done? I foolishly picked him up last week to fill in for garcia during the bye. (obviously qb is my weakness.)

    am I better off leaving the spot empty? or should I be trading? or can mcnair handle the weak bengals D? short week, but coming off that loss, they could come up big… wanted the expet angle

  3. Dreamweapon Avatar
    Dreamweapon

    Wow, that is a shitty format….what is the point, pray tell? Isn’t the entire object to have vibrant, active leagues? Why take measures that have no reason for being whatsoever except to frustrate that goal? That’s dumb, I feel bad for you–it sounds a lot like this fantasy EPL (English Premier League) soccer game I’m in with a bunch of guys at work and clients–you only get one transaction per week. At least there, though, you have the option of making additional moves at the cost of 4 points per, which is significant, but at least you can suck it up and take the hit if you need to. In your league, knowing the typical FFL format, that’s just obnoxious. I would demand that it be dropped for next year.

    I’m no expert like Triple-D, but I think McNair is best consigned to the ash heap of history. His mobility has evaporated, his arm strength is a shadow of its former self, he’s increasingly rattled in the pocket b/c of a lifetime of beatings, and his accuracy, which was never all that great to begin with, is essentially non-existent. I think the only reason he’s still a “starter” can be narrowed down to two words: Kyle Boller. But, hey, that’s squarely on the shoulders of “offensive genius” Billick. I don’t understand from your question whether you have an alternative, and of course even a shitty QB is a better bet than none at all, but seriously, short of the abominations that are Tarvaris Jackson and David Carr, I don’t know how you couldn’t do better. Even Bollinger, seriously. The kid won a couple of Rose Bowls, hell, why not….

  4. chad Avatar
    chad

    I was more hoping the bengals d may be even worse than mcnair…

    or I can trade for a qb, maybe give up a receiver now that chris henry is returning…I’m considering trading derrick mason

  5. chad Avatar
    chad

    oh, and the reason for the format is we had idiots adding and dropping like crazy at the end of the year so people had to wait on the waiver period. so anyone u didn’t have a roster spot for, but didn’t want your opponent to pick up, u could add and drop. I figured a better solution was to shorten the waiver period, but no one listens to me

  6. Start Selvin Avatar
    Start Selvin

    Hey Dalton – could you please give us your rankings of the following waiver guys in terms of fantasy value going forward:

    Maurice Morris
    David Patten
    Kolby Smith
    Brandon Jackson
    Priest Holmes

    And do you see Bobby Engram losing relevant value? Or being the best WR option for Hasselback? Seems like a wait-and-see approach with him.

  7. Start Selvin Avatar
    Start Selvin

    Or to keep it simple: would you drop Engram or Kevin Walters or neither for Kolby Smith or Maurice Morris?

    I have 4 other WR, Selvin, Brandon Jackson and Priest Holmes – and I’m just trying to find the best possible flex player and give myself overall depth.

    Help me out! Thanks man.

  8. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Dreamweapon – Nice “Tony” reference, I’ll bring the sandwiches…I knew my Peterson hyperbole would cause some to groan, and I understand an 8-game sample doesn’t equal Canton just yet, but my God. I’m sure Jim Brown looked like a beast back in the day, but due to simple evolution, players are flat-out stronger and faster these days. It’s really unfair to judge different eras, but I’d place the odds of Peterson owning every record in the book by the time it’s all said and done at 50/50, and I’ll take the “yes” side.

  9. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Chad – I pretty much agree exactly with what Dreamweapon said on all accounts. The only reason it’s even debatable is b/c of the tasty matchup with Cincy, but I’d still probably look elsewhere if at all possible. Let me know of any specific trade offers you get/give…

  10. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    1)Kolby Smith
    2)P. Holmes
    3)Patten
    4)Morris
    5)B. Jackson

    Here’s the thing: I think Holmes is the safer pick, especially for this week, but I’d rather go with the upside here. K. Smith has zero career NFL carries and KC isn’t great offensively, so there’s plenty of risk involved, but Holmes is 34 years old and hadn’t played in 2.5 years up until 2 weeks ago. Reading b/w the lines, it sounds like Herm Edwards wants K. Smith to emerge as the replacement, at least eventually. Holmes might be serviceable if he’s force fed all the carries, but you never know, K. Smith may turn out to be a home run…Two out of the next three games on KC’s sked features the two worst run defenses in the NFL.

  11. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    I think Engram will lose value with Hackett and Branch’s return, but he will still remain valuable. He was targeted a ridiculous 20 times last week and seems to be Hasselbeck’s safety valve. With Shaun Alexander’s corpse in the backfield, this team has to go pass-heavy.

    I would drop Kevin Walter for Kolby Smith. Walter should lose even more value with Dre Johnson’s return. I know I listed Morris over B. Jackson above, but that’s really a toss up and I’d probably stay put if I were you. But yes, go with Smith over Walter.

  12. chad Avatar
    chad

    3D.
    Working on a trade now….
    I’m targeting bulger, not because i like his abilities only his upside, but i know he’s an upgrade to McNair, but because his owner lost Ronnie Brown, and he’s expressed specific desire for any RB that gets carries (remembering that picking up a guy for him uses one of his last moves allowed) He’s got westbrook, but his RB 2 spot is awful, platooning ahman green and chester taylor.

    I’m offering him Warrick Dunn and McNair for Bulger and Ike Hilliard

    I don’t know that he’ll take it, i’m hoping dunn’s solid week this past week will help his trade value. Ike hiliard doesn’t add much value for me, but doing a 2 for one does me no good, when i cannot pick anyone up.

  13. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    Ya – that deal is solid for you all things considering. Bulger does have a decent matchup this week, and hopefully they got healthy over the bye.

  14. Keith Avatar
    Keith

    Wow, that was a whopper of a TMQ…well done! As big an AD fan as I am, there’s no way you could put his odds on owning all the records at 50/50. Even with the talent (which I certainly think is a reasonable debate), you still need to have health and the proper team on your side…and that’s far from a safe bet. Seriously, how could you not play 9 in the box against those QB’s? How could they laugh at Jeff George when he said he was interested? JG would be a huge upgrade, even if he’s 50!

    I’m probably going to try and move Portis in the league I’m stacked at RB in (AD, Addai, Jacobs, LenWhale, Chatman…). I was offered Roy Williams for him, but that Lions offense has been so inconsistent, so I didn’t take it. What kind of WR’s do you think would be good targets?

    I can barely even watch 49er games right now, it’s just so depressing. I knew losing Norv Turner wouldn’t help, but this goes well beyond that. Watching Dunn rush for 100 yards was just salt in the wounds. Knowing that goddamn New England is going to get a top-5 pick from the 49ers just infuriates me. How do you give up a 4th round pick, and next year’s first round pick for the #28 pick!?!? I thought it ludicrous at the time, and that was with foolish optimism as to how this season could play out (cue Jim Mora: “Playoffs!?!”). Why don’t they top-10 protect these picks like the NBA? The NFL needs to just step in and tell the Pats that they weren’t punished enough, so they have to give SF back their pick. That’s the only way the 49ers have any chance unless Bill Walsh’s spirit possesses somebody on the staff in the near future.

    I hope the Warriors win soon…ever since they got rid of J-Rich, and weren’t smart enough to get rid of S-Jax when he actually had some value, I had a bad feeling about this season. I hope I’m wrong though.

  15. RotoScoop Avatar
    RotoScoop

    I know I’m standing on a ledge with my Peterson proclamations. Do you know that the numbers showed during Jamal Lewis’ previous NFL-record rushing day, he actually had a higher YPC on plays with 8 and 9 man fronts? This is because if you bust through, there’s absolutely no one in the secondary to stop them at that point, and it’s to the house for sure.

    Wow, calling that RB group stacked is an understatement. I actually do think Roy Williams will have a good final 8 weeks, and if you can’t get any other WR, I’d probably do that deal…But first, I’d go after Houshmandzadeh, Braylon Edwards, Reggie Wayne and Burress (maybe Andre Johnson?) first.

    Good point about the 49ers and that trade. They definitely need to come up with a lottery protected system like the NBA. It’s going to be a top-5 pick.

    I actually think the Warriors are really missing S-Jax right now. It doesn’t look too good, but I guess they have been always getting off to slow starts the past few seasons, right?

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