Jock Jerseys’ Flash

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

The NFL season is approaching fast and its time to solidify your draft strategy. If you go into the draft without a plan, there is a good chance that you will come out with a bad team. Here are some rules to keep in mind as you prepare for winning your fantasy football league.

1. Don’t chase last years stars - Brady will have a great year, but he won’t break the touchdown record again. Same for Randy Moss. Expect their stats to fall a bit and adjust your draft accordingly.
2. Play it safe in rounds 1 and 2. Get healthy guys that produce year after year.
3. Know your rosters and depth charts. They are easy to check at yahoo sports.
4. Spend time targeting players in the 6th, 7th, and 8th rounds. These can often be the players that make or break your team.
5. Look for good deals, but be careful not to risk too much. Hoping that Manning falls to the third round may cost you an elite QB.

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Today was my fantasy football draft, which I had been looking forward to for several weeks.  Unfortunately, I overslept and joined the draft about 5 rounds too late.  With the #4 overall pick and draft position, I was in a pretty good spot to develop a strong fantasy squad for this year.

I’m still pretty confident that I can compete pretty well, but the auto-draft picked a few guys I’m not too excited about.

Here are the fantasy picks that Yahoo picked for me:

• Stephen Jackson
• Andre Johnson
• Brandon Jacobs
• Wes Welker
• Marvin Harrison
• Drew Brees

After a few quick expletives were shouted and I figured out Yahoo’s new draft order (just a big damn long auto-scroll bar).  There wasn’t a lot of quality left to choose from, but I think I did ok considering everything.

My picks included:

• Thomas Jones (expecting good things w/ Favre at the helm)
• Derrick Mason
• Jake Delhomme
• LenDale White
• Bobby Engram (ok, so I didn’t know he was hurt)
• DeAngelo Williams (hoping this was a steal w/ 14th round pick)
• Alge Crumpler (TE)
• Josh Brown (K)
• Jacksonville (D)

Some of the other teams are loaded w/ a solid RB, WR and QB, but again, I think that my roster can compete any given week.  With only 10 teams in my league, several high profile players were still available at draft’s end.  The waiver wire will surely be filled w/ other auto-draft victims who will be looking to improve their fantasy roster.

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

CNNSI has released a list of NFC sleeper picks for the upcoming fantasy football season. Here are the winners from each team.

• Felix Jones, RB, Dallas Cowboys
• Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, NY Giants
• DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
• Jason Campbell, QB, Washington Redskins
• Devin Hester, WR, Chicago Bears
• Kevin Smith, RB, Detroit Lions
• James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers
• Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota Vikings
• Laurent Robinson, WR, Atlanta Falcons
• DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers
• Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints
• Antonio Bryant, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tim Hightower, RB, Arizona Cardinals
• Antonio Pittman, RB, St. Louis Rams
• Josh Morgan, WR, San Francisco 49ers
• Maurice Morris, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Jock Jerseys’ take
This is certainly a decent list of players who might breakout in the 2008-09 fantasy football season.  For the Giants, Brandon Jacobs has been injured pretty often, so picking up Amhad Bradshaw would be a good idea for your 3rd or 4th bench running back.  Devin Hester should be included on a lot of offense this year, in addition to his kick return duties; this might result in some high yardage and/or scoring plays for Chicago.  I don’t see any of the other players making significant contributions unless there is a serious injury to a starter.  For keeper leagues and deeper drafts (12+ players), these might be serious options.  Otherwise, keep your fantasy picks and keep an eye on these player’s stats & your league’s waiver wire.  If the player develops or becomes a serious contributor, you’ll need to be on top of it ASAP.

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

The Talented Mr. Roto has published 50 facts you need to know for the upcoming fantasy football season. Here are some highlights.

• David Garrard averaged15.4 fantasy points a game last year.
• Carson Palmer only had 5 touchdowns over the last 5 weeks last year.
• Kurt Warner led the NFL in touchdown passes in the final 8 games.
• Drew Brees was second in red zone attempts
• Brian Westbrook led the league in total yards from scrimmage.
• Joseph Addai was second in the league in goal line carries.
• Michael Turner has only 11 receptions in 4 years.
• Jerricho Cotchery has increased his yardage totals for 4 straight years….and Favre is now his quarterback.

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Football News from NFL.com

When the Rams returned to the practice fields in St. Louis on Friday, they left behind the cooler weather of their Wisconsin training camp. What they couldn’t leave on the campus of Concordia University, though, were the problems plaguing them. Continue reading on NFL.com

Jock Jerseys’ outlook:
This is an interesting situation, w/ running back Stephen Jackson continuing to holdout for a new contract. To their credit, the St. Louis Rams are calling Jackson’s bluff and moving on without him (for now). One thing is for sure - they will not be the same team without him. He brings the ability to run and catch the ball out of the backfield, so the Rams may have to platoon one or more other players to make up for that loss.

Jackson’s holdout also has huge implications in fantasy football; keeper leagues in particular are probably watching this situation & holding their breath. Probably one of the Top 5 rated running backs in the league, Stephen Jackson new contract affects virtually every fantasy football draft this year. Do you draft him high in hopes of new contract being negotiated or do you shift your draft strategy and take him in the later rounds? And for those that choose to skip their live draft and do an auto-draft - you might get screwed if you don’t adjust your picks order before your fantasy football draft.

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

Here is the list you have been waiting for. The top 10 fantasy football kickers for 2008. The quality of your draft may depend on it.

1. Nick Folk
2. Rob Bironas
3. Stephen Gostkowski
4. Josh Brown
5. Shayne Graham
6. Nate Kaeding
7. Mason Crosby
8. Phil Dawson
9. Adam Vinatieri
10. Robbie Gould

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

This is the deepest group of quality wide receiver’s in a long time. Its so deep that you can get a guy like Plaxico Burress or Chad Johnson in the fourth round of your draft. Here are my top 10 fantasy football wide receiver’s for 2008.

1. Randy Moss - Set a record with 23 TD’s last year. Should be the top WR again in 2008.
2. Terrell Owens - Lots of dropped passes, but 15 touchdowns make up for it.
3. Reggie Wayne - Consistent production as the Colts new #1 WR.
4. Braylon Edwards - Breakout year last year. Will it continue?
5. T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 112 receptions last year. Solid week to week production.
6. Andre Johnson - When he is healthy he is one of the best.
7. Larry Fitzgerald - Share’s the spotlight with Boldin, but still had 100 receptions.
8. Steve Smith (Car) - Lives and dies on the health of Jake Delhomme.
9. Marques Colston - Saints love to throw the ball and Colston will respond with 90+ receptions this year.
10. Plaxico Burress - Should be healthier than last year and playing with a more confident Eli Manning.

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

Scott Engel has written a nice article outlining a strategy for every pick in the first round. Here are his top ideal picks and top alternative picks. Clearly Engel is very high on the QB position with Tom Brady as an ideal #2 and Peyton Manning as an ideal #5. Engel also ranks Steven Jackson over the red hot Adrian Peterson, and drops Westbrook down to #7, even though he was the second highest scoring RB in my league last year. Do you agree?

1. Ideal pick: LaDainian Tomlinson
   Top alternative: Tom Brady
2. Ideal pick: Tom Brady
   Top alternative: Steven Jackson
3. Ideal pick: Steven Jackson
   Top alternatives: Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning
4. Ideal pick: Adrian Peterson
   Top alternative: Peyton Manning
5. Ideal pick: Peyton Manning
   Top alternatives: Joseph Addai, Brian Westbrook.
6. Ideal pick: Joseph Addai
   Top alternative: Brian Westbrook
7. Ideal pick: Brian Westbrook
   Top alternative: Marshawn Lynch
8. Ideal pick: Marshawn Lynch
   Top alternative: Randy Moss
9. Ideal pick: Randy Moss
   Ideal alternative: This time, there really isn’t one.
10. Ideal pick: Clinton Portis
    Top alternatives: Reggie Wayne, Frank Gore

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Hard to argue w/ too many of these football picks, but where are the Cowboys players: Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Marion Barber? Surely, at least one of these players will end up in the Top 10 fantasy scorers at seasons end.

I would question Marshawn Lynch and Reggie Wayne’s positions from this list as well, but fantasy football is a total game of luck sometimes; perhaps these players will be better (than I think). Omitted from this list is also Larry Johnson of the Chiefs and Thomas Jones of the Jets (perhaps) and a few other starters that I can’t think of at the moment.

Following this list is likely to result in a favorable fantasy lineup in my opinion, but a little more research and analysis may reveal a stronger 1st round fantasy football draft list.

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

Looking for the best fantasy football defense to draft for you team in 2008? Check out this free fantasy football defense report and adjust your draft sheet accordingly.

1. Minnesota Vikings - Dr. Z of SI has picked Minnesota to win it all. With this defense they have a shot….but are they too old?
2. San Diego Chargers - 30 interceptions as a team in 2007.
3. Seattle Seahawks - 34 total team turnovers forced in 2007.
4. Green Bay Packers - Athletic linebackers should wreak havoc in the NFC central this year.
5. New York Giants - Defense should be riding high with confidence after dismantling the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
6. New England Patriots - CB Asante Samuel is gone but expect this defense to still perform consistently.
7. Dallas Cowboys - The offense is the star of this team, but the addition of Pacman…Adam Jones should help the secondary.
8. Chicago Bears -A healthy defense plus Devin Hester equals FF points.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars - Marcus Stroud is gone, but expect a solid performance still from this oversized defense.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers - Defense was down a bit last year. Will they rebound?

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

Don’t underestimate the value of a good tight end these days. The top 4 TE’s last year produced a fairly significant point margin over TE’s ranked 7th or lower in scoring. If you can get one of these guys, you have a good opportunity to create weekly matchup problems for your opponents.

1. Antonio Gates (Chargers) - The perennial top TE barely missed 1000 receiving yards last season and scored 9 TDs.
2. Jason Witten (Cowboys) - 96 receptions last year. You could easily argue that Witten should be the first TE taken this year.
3. Kellen Winslow (Browns) - Finally lived up to his potential last year.
4. Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs) - 99 receptions last year. Doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down to me.
5. Jeremy Shockey (Saints) - Brees loves TE’s, but will Shockey stay healthy.
6. Dallas Clark (Colts) - Only 58 receptions, but made up for it with 11 touchdowns.
7. Chris Cooley (Redskins) - New West Coast offense in Washington may hurt his production.
8. Tony Scheffler (Broncos) - Finished 2007 with a strong run.
9. Heath Miller (Steelers) - Should continue to have solid production.
10. Vernon Davis (49ers) - Will Davis finally live up to his potential? It may depend upon the quality of QB play in San Fran.

Late round sleepers: Alge Crumpler (Titans), Randy McMichael (Rams)

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com

Fantasy football news from Fantasy Football Daily Tips

Tom Brady (New England Patriots) had a record breaking year in 2007 with 50 TD passing, breaking Peyton Manning’s single season record. If you had him on your team last year, you probably won a lot of games.

This year Brady is ranked as the top fantasy football quarterback by most experts, and will most likely be taken in the first round of most drafts. But is he worthy of such a high pick? Lets look at last years numbers a bit.

During the first 8 games of 2007 Tom Brady threw 30 touchdowns which works out to 60 TD’s for a season. During the last 8 games Brady slowed down considerably, throwing 20 touchdowns which works out to 40 over a 16 game period.

Which Brady will we see in 2008? Most likely the 40 TD Tom Brady. After 8 games last year, defenses had a chance to adjust to the Patriots new offense. The Patriots still scored, but they were not as dominate over the last 8 games.

I would still rate Tom Brady as the #1 QB for 2008, but don’t expect him to outscore Manning, Romo, and Brees by nearly as many points as last year.

Source: http://fantasyfootballdailytips.blogspot.com