Category: Fantasy Football (Page 322 of 324)

So Cedric Benson finally ended his holdout and signed a five-year deal with the Bears. How does that affect your draft rankings and upcoming fantasy football season?

Well, for starters, Chicago RB Thomas Jones, last year’s starter and the biggest benefactor from Benson’s holdout, should be sliding down your lists. Jones will still start the first few games of the season, at least, but Benson’s the future and the Bears will hand him the job at some point this year. Jones should be the team’s third-down back because he’s a much better receiver than Benson, but most of Jones’ fantasy value goes out the window with Benson signing.

As for Benson, he should be drafted or claimed in every league since rookie runners have a much higher success rate than rookies at other positions. He’s so far behind at this point that you can’t expect a 1,000 yard season for Benson, but also keep in mind that Willis McGahee sat behind Travis Henry for the first four games in Buffalo last year and still totaled 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns, while rookie Julius Jones finished with 819 rushing yards and seven touchdowns despite playing in only eight games last season. Don’t draft Benson in the third or fourth round expecting that kind of production but, with his upside, Benson certainly deserves consideration once the first 20-25 backs are off the board, maybe even earlier in keeper leagues. After all, there’s a reason the Bears chose Benson with the fourth-overall choice in last April’s draft.

As rookie runners go, I prefer Carnell Williams, J.J. Arrington and maybe even Ronnie Brown (depending on what the Dolphins do with Ricky Williams) to Benson this year but, going forward, Benson has just as much potential as any of his fellow first-year backs and he’s a great fit in the Bears’ offense. Just don’t expect to see big numbers right away.

Got your own questions on the upcoming fantasy season? Wondering if Randy Moss is a first-round choice or if Fred Taylor is a reliable #2 running back? We’ve got the answers, so let’s hear your questions. Post ’em here and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a response.

I watched the Falcons/Jaguars game last night and, aside from Jacksonville rookie Matt Jones’ sensational one-handed diving catch, I saw something else of interest: the same old Michael Vick. Many feel Vick is nothing more than a SportsCenter highlight and a fantasy football tease, and from a purely statistical standpoint, that’s certainly a valid point. But when it comes to Vick, I’m not so sure that statistics tell the entire story.

Vick threw for 2,313 yards and 14 TDs vs. 12 interceptions while running for 902 yards and an additional three TDs in 15 games last year. Of course, everyone latches on to the impressive rushing totals, which is certainly understandable considering he ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards, ahead of running backs Priest Holmes, Marshall Faulk, Julius Jones and Duce Staley. But when you add up Vick’s total production, you’re left with 3,215 yards and 17 TDs, hardly gaudy numbers compared to those put up by guys like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Trent Green.

But when analyzing Vick, the only stat that really matters at this point in his career is 11, which is how many wins the Falcons had last season. Vick may not match the statistical output of Peyton Manning and Daunte Culpepper, but he’s not the same kind of quarterback. While opposing defenses only need to worry about Manning beating them with his arm, Vick’s athleticism gives defensive coordinators nightmares because, quite frankly, he’s the most dangerous guy on the field. Sure, he makes poor reads and, occasionally, even worse throws, but he can also turn a 10-yard loss into a 30-yard run, and that kind of playmaking ability can’t be ignored.

In this fantasy football era, fans have become obsessed with statistics, and since Vick hasn’t taken a giant statistical step forward in his NFL career, many of these fans are quick to label him as a failure. But the NFL is about winning, not about compiling stats, and considering the Falcons were one win from the Super Bowl last year, I’d say Vick is doing everything right, even is his numbers may suggest otherwise.

The NFL preseason moves on to week three, which means opening kickoff is even closer. Still trying to figure out who to take in the first round or how long you should wait before selecting a QB? Post your questions here and we’ll have an answer for you within 24 hours.

This week, we’ll start with an update on a previous question. On our last Q&A thread, mikedill asked, “…how do you think the Browns RB situation will shake out and will the winner be worth drafting?” J. Paulsen and I orginally recommended targeting Lee Suggs, Cleveland’s apparent starting running back, but we also both pointed out that Suggs is injury prone and that, with William Green and Reuben Droughns standing as more-than-capable backups, Suggs’ fantasy value for ’05 is far from assured.

Now, we learn that Suggs will be out at least two weeks with a high ankle sprain. That’s bad news for Suggs owners since high ankle sprains tend to linger and, considering Suggs’ injury history, there’s a decent chance that this could hamper him all season. Meanwhile, in Suggs’ absence Saturday against the Giants, Green ran for 29 yards on seven carries while Droughns totaled 30 yards on eight attempts. Green got the start, which suggests he’d probably benefit the most from a long-term Suggs injury, but Droughns still has plenty of time to close the gap.

In perhaps the least shocking news of the NFL offseason, Randy Moss told HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” that he’s smoked pot during his professional career. “I have used, you know, marijuana … since I’ve been in the league,” Moss said in the interview, scheduled to air Aug. 23. “But as far as abusing it and, you know, letting it take control over me, I don’t do that, no.” When asked if he still smokes, Moss replied, “every blue moon or every once in a while I might.”

To most of you, this probably can’t be classified as news. After all, when Moss was arrested for “bumping” a traffic control officer with his car a couple of years ago, police found some pot in the ashtray which conveniently belonged to one of Moss’s friends. Rrrrright.

But something of significance can be found in this story. Check out this quote from the “Real Sports” interview:

“But, you know, I don’t want any kids, you know, watching this taking a lesson from me as far as ‘Well, Randy Moss used it so I’m going to use it.’ I don’t want that to get across.”

That’s Randy for you, always thinking about the kids. Here’s a hint: If you don’t want kids to get the wrong message about you admitting that you smoke dope, DON’T TALK ABOUT HOW YOU SMOKE DOPE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.

On another note, fantasy leaguers shouldn’t worry. Unless he’s actually failed a drug test (and according to reports, he has not), the league is highly unlikely to take any action against Moss this year. He’s still most likely the top receiver on the board and a late-first/early second round pick.