Posts Tagged ‘peyton hillis’

Fantasy Football: Don’t Kill The Messenger

(Sanchez was a good sleeper play on Sunday)

Forgive me for playing Nirvana’s “All Apologies” to the max level. But I can’t rid my shame. The guilt, dear God, the guilt.

Actually, that’s a lie, but it’s not for a lack of sorrow that some of my predicted “starts” didn’t pan out. After all, I tend to follow the advice that I give out. So, this week, fair friends, you were not alone.

Through those highs, and those terrible lows, I promise you that you were not alone.

While I may have led you (and you, and you) astray, if only a little bit, I still had enough tricks up my sleeve for the first week of fantasy action.

Enough to keep you listening to my fantasy advice, perhaps? Well, before I indulge myself and your fantasy hopes into another Fantasy Football: Start and Sit column, it’s only my duty to review my picks, and to fully explain why certain players failed to live up to my expectations, while also boosting my ego with my “correct” calls.

The Record: 9-5

The Duds

Okay, so Brett Favre didn’t throw for 200+ yards and two touchdowns. My bad. In fact, he barely cracked 100, and only threw 21 passes.

But no interceptions and a score doesn’t make playing him a total loss. Still, as far as “starts” go, he was a dud.

And I apologize for Willie Parker. Boy, was that a blown call.

I truly did not believe he was that washed up, or that Tennessee’s run defense would show-up like that. Both of those comments could be overblown, but considering Mewelde Moore did pretty well overall, I’m placing most of the blame on Parker no loner living up to his “Fast Willie” nick-name.

The Winners

If you followed my lead and played Greg Jennings (despite a nagging injury), Matt Hasselbeck, and Ray Rice, you were pleasantly surprised.

Rice topped 100 yards rushing, Hasselbeck threw three scores, and Jennings hauled in the game-winning touchdown and over 100 yards against the Bears on Sunday night.

You were probably feeling rather smart if you followed my “Sit” suggestions this week, as well.

Jay Cutler had a forgettable four-pick performance, Larry Johnson only managed 20 rushing yards against the Ravens, Kevin Curtis only had 26 yards against the Panthers, and sitting Pierre Thomas was a good choice.

If you went the extra mile and plugged Mike Bell into your line-up on a whim, kudos to you.

The Sleepers

Jeremy Shockey and Mark Sanchez made me look smart, while Peyton Hillis and David Clowney did nothing to warrant a spot on the “look out for me” list.

The jury is still out on Darren McFadden for tonight, while Carnell Williams (originally a sit candidate) had over 90 yards rushing and a score. Still, with Derrick Ward splitting carries, he will continue to be a risky play.

All in all, it’s only Week One, but with a 9-5 record on my start-and-sit calls, the fantasy gods may soon be shining on you to listen to this advice.

Look for this week’s Fantasy Football: Start and Sit column on B/R, or go straight to www.theredzonereport.com for all of your fantasy advice and NFL news.

2009 Denver Broncos: Five Things to Watch For

 Mike Shanahan’s successor, Josh McDaniels, has made quite an impression in just one off-season as the head coach in Denver, and not necessarily in the manner first-year coaches would like.

After upsetting franchise quarterback Jay Cutler, Denver and the star quarterback went their separate ways, leaving McDaniels and co. without a true gamer at the position, albeit with several knew, young pieces to work with on defense, as well as a stud rookie running back in Knowshon Moreno.

But aside from that, there hasn’t been much done since the Cutler drama or in pre-season to have fans and experts lean one way or another on McDaniels and the Broncos’ future.

Here’s five things to think about for the 2009 season:

5. How Will Peyton Hillis Be Used?

In many different ways, and much more often than Knowshon Moreno-lovers would like to see.

The fact is, Hillis is an outstanding blocker, but it would be an absolute monstrosity to keep him at fullback full-time.

He has elite receiving skills combined with great power rushing ability, making him a great, three-dimensional weapon all over the field.

He’ll be listed as a fullback, but should garner a lot of offensive attention from Josh McDaniels, as he’ll line up as a receiver, tight end, running back, and fullback.

McDaniels has been very vocal about his immense and underrated talent, and he’ll be sure to expose his attributes to the rest of the league, even moreso than Mike Shanahan did last year.

4. Is Kyle Orton Simply a Game-Manager?

Well, we’re about to find out.

 

After Orton started his Denver career with three first-half interceptions in a pre-season game, you could see fans calling for McDaniels’ head, and it got even worse when his back-up, Chris Simms, posted much better numbers in the same game.

Still, Orton has good experiene, knows how to win, and is still learning the system.

If Brandon Marshall jumps ship, it could get more difficult for all parties involved, but with Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, and a sound rush attack, Orton should be able to thrive in a very pass-happy New England-style offense.

Whether that translates into wins or not will ultimately be on the defense.

3. Can the Defense Get Any Worse?

Considering their lack of depth at cornerback and safety, as well as their inconsistent pass rush, the answer would be a sheepish “yes”.

 

It’s sad, but also a very possible truth, considering the new head coach has only elite offensive credentials to his name, and while he’s attempted to address the defense through the draft, he simply many not have the players to make it happen in year one.

Denver fans, prepare for a full-blown rebuilding year with some progress near the end of the season.

2. Is McDaniels a Fool or a Genius?

Like most things in the pre-season, that’s simply something that will be answered with time.

 

However, with two disgrunted super stars in one off-season, McDaniels is either very bad at comunicating and managing elite talent, or he’s simply ridding of prima-dona athletes.

For now, call it a combination of the two. After all, most great coaches (he’s not great yet) have to be both smart and crazy sometimes.

1. What Happens With Brandon Marshall?

If you’ve been monitoring the rumor mill, it’s pretty clear that the New York Jets want Brandon Marshall, and he surely isn’t fighting off the possibility.

 

Marshall has all but given up on Denver after rehab and contractual issues, while also citing a downgrade at quarterback as a reason for his “wanting out”.

After all, the guy is in a contract year.

The Denver regime continues to claim Marshall won’t be traded, but if the Jets bite on the current offer on the table (Marshall for David Harris and a first round pick), it’s something that could definitely happen.

While it’s unlikely the Jets give up both the player and the pick, it’s becoming almost even more unlikely that Brandon Marshall is in a Denver uniform come week one.

 

Fantasy Football: Ten Guys to Snag in the Late Rounds

Worth the risk?

The top ten picks of a Fantasy Football draft is fairly self-explanatory, no matter the format or scoring settings.

It’s simply, really. If you have a league the has two quarterbacks starting, getting Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Tom Brady with your top pick isn’t a bad move.

If your league has three running backs starting, you would be doing yourself a favor to get the best three running backs available—and so on and so forth.

But what few people realize, is that many fantasy football championships are won in the later rounds, when owners take fliers on rookies, players with legal troubles, or guys without a team.

Here are 13 players, in no particular order, that deserve a shot to prove to you that they’re still fantasy relevant.

Plaxico Burress, WR, Free Agent

Rumors in New York (Jets) have cooled a bit, but don’t buy it. Burress will see his court issues simmer down for the 2009 season, likely allowing him to continue his playing career.

After all, how is a man to pay for all those lawyers if he can’t earn a paycheck?

Burress may still wind up with some sort of suspension, but either way, is worth taking in the later rounds of your draft, simply because he’s still a candidate for 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns if he plays.

You’re not really going to draft a demoted Isaac Bruce before Burress, are you?

Matt Jones, WR, Free Agent

Jones won’t be facing any suspensions from the league, and the serious part of his legal issues is pretty much over with.

All Jones really has to worry about now is finding a starting spot on a team.

There are plenty of team (Jets, Giants, Cowboys, and Bears, just to name a few) that could use a 6’6″ receiver with good hands and great speed.

Jones probably hasn’t signed yet for two reasons: He doesn’t want to go to the Organized Team Activities, and a few teams may be a bit cautious about his recent problems.

Don’t worry. He’ll find a team and he’ll continue his progression into the better half of the league’s receivers. If the guy could put up solid numbers in Jacksonville, just imagine what he can do if Jay Cutler is throwing him the ball.

Edgerrin James, RB, Free Agent

James may be getting up there in age, but he showed he can still grind it out in last year’s playoff run with Arizona.

He’s lost some speed, but he’s a tough runner who is useful out of the backfield as a receiver, and is solid at picking up blitzes.

While he’s unlikely to find a starting job, he could be very useful as a change of pace back, with several teams in the league lacking veteran experience or overall depth at the position.

Brett Favre, QB, Free Agent

After Favre appeared on HBO’s Joe Buck Live and answered the tough questions, it appears imminent that he will sign with the Vikings.

Still, nothing is certain until he’s signed and in camp, so you can probably still get him in the late rounds of your draft.

Maybe people either still don’t believe he’s coming back, or don’t feel he offers anything as a fantasy quarterback.

I’m here to tell you that it’s foolish to buy into that line of thinking. Favre has all the supporting cast in the world to put up his 2007 numbers again, although with less yards.

Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor will pick up the slack so Favre won’t wear out his arm again, while Bernard Berrian will give Favre the big-play threat he craves.

The Vike’s solid offensive line should be able to protect Favre while all this goes on, and numbers like 3,500 yards, 25 TD, and 15 INT are extremely possible in an offense he knows better than anybody.

Laurence Maroney, RB, New England Patriots

No, he’s not guaranteed the starting job, and yes, he was hurt for most of last season. In fact, even when he was playing, he was ineffective and didn’t look like he did in 2007.

However, regardless of what you may have heard, he’s definitely in Bill Belichick’s plans, and based on the success of the running back by committee in New England last season, he’s still a better pick-up than, say, Noah Herron.

It obviously depends on how many teams are in your league, but if Maroney ever does grab hold of the starting job again, he could be a fantastic steal by you.

Peyton Hillis, RB/FB, Denver Broncos

After putting up over 340 yards and five touchdowns as the Broncos’ interim starting running back lat least season, Hillis figures to get some kind of touches in Josh McDaniels new offense.

Hillis is a versatile offensive threat that can run, block, and catch at an extremely high level, and should be used in a variety of packages.

Despite the likelihood he will be deployed a good amount, he’s lasting on boards until the very end of drafts. Make sure that he doesn’t.

Chris Henry, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

With a healthy Carson Palmer back and a new gung-ho attitude from teammate Chad Ochocinco (I still hate saying that), Henry could emerge as the explosive third option he was just three seasons ago.

Injuries to himself and his quarterback, as well as the usual off-field issues have been holding Henry back, but he could be primed for a big season if everything in Cincy works out as well as Carson Palmer thinks it will.

When healthy and out of trouble, Henry is a threat for 6-9 scores, as well as 350-600 yards. He shouldn’t be without a fantasy owner when your draft is through.

Brian Leonard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Let’s keep things relative, and address the Bengals ground game, too.

We all know Cedric Benson had an impressive three-game stretch to end the season last year, but we’re fooling ourselves if we think three good games can erase the previous three seasons of horrid play.

Benson is no sure thing, which is why the Bengals brought in Leonard from St. Louis.

Leonard will be used as a blocker and a third-down/short yardage back initially, but if Benson struggles, we could see him taking on a more prominent role.

Leonard is a very useful weapon as a receiver out of the backfield, as well, and Marvin Lewis will look for several different ways to get him on the field.

Mark Sanchez, QB, Jets vs. Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions

These guys are at a tie for now, simply because neither has been guaranteed the starting gig.

I like Stafford’s potential for this season better based on Calvin Johnson, while Sanchez has a better moxie to him, and probably has a better running game and overall team surrounding him.

Neither are Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan clones, and both are in worse situations than last year’s impressive rookies were. However, there is still some fantasy value there, and if they wind up starting, they could become useful in deeper leagues.

Jerome Harrison, RB, Cleveland Browns

Jamal Lewis is over 30 and clearly not as quick or fast as he used to be (was he ever?).

Harrison has been offering Cleveland a special change-of-pace style for a couple years now, and should finally get his chance to prove his worth.

He won’t take over the starting job before the season starts, but by the end of the season, I’d be shocked if they weren’t at least splitting carries.

The Wild Card

Joey Galloway, WR, New England Patriots

Galloway is definitely up there in age for a receiver, but he can still burn rubber and get behind the secondary.

Bill Belichick’s offense will allow him to have the field all to himself with most of the attention focused on containing Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

Think back when Donte Stallworth was the third option on the 2007 New England team. Galloway could easily put up numbers in the realm of 50 rec, 750 yards, and 6 TD.