Updated Fantasy Football Rankings: Last Call!

Many Fantasy Football Drafts will fall in the next week. With that Football Jabber is posting its final Fantasy Football Redraft Rankings for the season. Included with the rankings are the current Average Draft Position (ADP) so you can see where the players have fallen in Mock Drafts. In this episode we will a have look at some of the Quarterbacks, Running Backs, and Wide Receivers you should keep an eye on.

 

 

Drew Brees No. 1 vs. Tom Brady No. 2

 

I want to throw out the disclaimer here that my stance on this battle is in no way effected by my being a Saints fan. Look at any of my Redraft rosters and you will rarely find a Saints on them. The heart stays clear of my fantasy football Warroom. Not that I don’t believe in their fantasy production, I just don’t think I value them as much as many others do in fantasy football.

Anyway…My gut tells me that Drew Brees is still going to be the top QB this season and if there is a Saint on my roster it will be him.  Why?  Tom Brady’s return does not make Brees a worse QB or his fantasy situation any worse.  There are still questions lingering a bit with Brady and realistically it isn’t likely he will be up there where he was in 2007 on the fantasy scoreboard.  It could still be that I have a bad taste in my mouth from drafting Brady in two leagues last year.  Amazingly I was still able to win one and was runner up in the other (Have to throw that out there whenever I can).

 

 

Peyton Manning makes the Top Three!

 

YEAH!  Why the excitement? Last season I was pounded a little bit by a couple readers for ranking Manning out of the Top three.  One of them promised to come back and heckle me at the end of the season when Manning finished No. 1…this reader was never to be heard from again. Although Aaron Rodgers is right on his tail, Manning gets the nod at No. 3 for consistency and proving he is not a product of Tom Moore.

 

 

Jay Cutler moves into the Top 10

 

I’m not a big Cutler fan but it is starting to look like I have to get past that and forget the fact he is in Chicago.

 

 

Mark Sanchez and Shaun Hill officially get jobs

 

Thought I would throw this out there.  It really didn’t move them much from where we already had them ranked. It certainly does feel better drafting them as a possible backup if you know they will be on the field.

 

 

David Garrard should be your backup QB

 

I may be kicking myself saying this before I have two drafts this weekend…David Garrard should be your backup QB. His ADP of 12.01 makes him a bargain a bargain. You should be able to fill a couple other backup spots and still find him on the board. Considering the bottom of the Top 12 rankings he could easily be a starter or play in a QBBC for some of those teams that grabbed the 11th or 12th QB.

 

 

Maurice Jones-DrewNo. 2 vs. Michael Turner No. 3

 

I’m starting to think that the best place to fall this season is the No. 3 spot. You know you get on of these two guys or that Peterson fellow. Things get a little iffy after that. You also get to be the first one of the owners of these three guys to pick again.

Anyway…You can’t go wrong with either of them I don’t believe, both are going to be beasts.  Jones Drew gets the edge for his play in the passing game.

 

 

Poor Pierre Thomas

 

It appears that Sean Payton is going to keep us guessing as much as he does opposing defenses on Sunday. With Mike Bell’s Preseason play he is in there at the No. 3 spot and it looks as if he is going to be worked in as a three headed monster in the backfield for the Saints. This drops the value of Thomas a bit. He is the best RB option for the team but he is likely going to be overvalued by those wanting to get in on the Saints offensive action. If you can get a good deal on him, by all means go for it but realize you might not get consistent production as the ball is spread around in New Orleans.

 

 

...same thing in Tampa

 

I have been high on Earnest Graham this season as a sleeper. All eyes are on Derrick Ward and Graham earned an ADP of 10.09 because of it. Then Caddy came back.  Williams is being worked in now with the other two. Who knows how long Williams will stay healthy but it does drop the value of Ward and Graham a bit.

 

 

Brandon Marshall falling fast…

 

Let’s just get it out there.  You may just be better off going in another direction if you are considering drafting Brandon Marshall. Stay away from the drama. Look at your rankings and see where you have Marshall ranking and think if you could live with that guy or two sitting right behind him. At least they may still be getting you points in November…who knows what planet Marshall will be on then.

 

 

Love the Ocho Cinco

 

Tell you what…I’m going to be a happy guy if I can nab Chad Johnson (yeah, I went there) as my No. 2 WR this season.  I’m thinking a come back season for this guy.  One of those gut things I guess.  With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 4.01 I wouldn’t grab him in the third before that but if he falls back and you already have a RB,WR, base going…and don’t want to go QB yet…grab him.

 

 

Is Roy Williams the WR bust of the year?

 

Just as I have a gut feeling on Ochocinco, I’m a bit queezy when it comes to Roy Williams.  I want this guy to succeed, don’t get me wrong.  I just don’t know that I could take him as high as people are (fourth round).  It is definitely a risk/reward pick. He certainly is in position to breakout…will he though?

Check out the rest of the rankings and come back and let us know who you drafted!

 

 

Re-Draft Rankings
QB|RB|WR|TE

To Handcuff or Not To Handcuff: Answering the Fantasy Question About Backup RBs

To Handcuff or Not to Handcuff. That’s the Question.

Ah, the art of handcuffing. Or shall I say: the forgotten art. It’s astounding how many mockers are neglecting the selections of handcuffs for their most prized possession: the RB1.

Now, it’s not a must that you handcuff everybody. You just need to handcuff the guys that have the talent to step in and provide at least 75 percent of the production your top line RB was giving you. That’s the rule I have in handcuffing.

And in the era of RBBC (Running Back By Committees), handcuffing can come quite expensive depending on the rounds your potential handcuff is currently being drafted. Some “handcuffs” actually have stand alone value which drives up their ADP.

Still, so far while mocking; it’s astounding how little mockers are paying attention to this still seemingly important draft strategy. Let’s take a look at the 12 RB1’s and what it will take to nab their handcuffs:

 

Adrian Peterson ADP 1.01 – HANDCUFF: Chester Taylor ADP 10.03

For two years now, Chester has proved to be a very necessary handcuff for AP owners. With a current ADP in the 10th round (or ninth at the turn), he’s very affordable. This is actually ideal ADP for Chester as he’d take the spot of your RB4 at this point in the draft.

I much rather have him if I owned Peterson other than similar backs at that spot of the draft like Leon Washington or Tim Hightower

 

Maurice Jones-Drew ADP 1.02 – HANDCUFF: none

Chester Taylor above proved a perfect example for when to handcuff. MJD’s backups prove the opposite. If MJD were to go down, it’s highly doubtful Jack Del Rio would turn over the reigns to rookie Rashard Jennings. Even if he did, Jennings wouldn’t prove nearly as valuable as I’m sure Greg Jones would most likely take over goal line duties.

Taking that into consideration, the 75 percent production rule does not apply. But go ahead and take Jennings on a flier at the end of your draft just in case.

 

Michael Turner ADP 1.03 – HANDCUFF: Jerious Norwood ADP 12.02

I don’t believe Norwood is a must handcuff for Turner in the least bit, but with an ADP in the 12th round, I’d take a flier on him over a fifth receiver if I had Turner.

 

Matt Forte ADP 1.04 – HANDCUFF: Kevin Jones ADP 14.02

While I don’t buy the hype that Kevin Jones will be cutting into Forte’s workload too much, the early positive camp reports on Jones have elevated his handcuff status immensely. If Forte were to breakdown, I now believe Kevin Jones could step in and provide that 75 percent production level.

And with a current ADP in the second to last round, you must grab him.

 

Steven Jackson ADP 1.06 – HANDCUFF: none

If you’re taking SJAX in the first round, you know very well the potential for injury so I’m assuming that you are leaning toward running backs in the middle to late rounds anyhow, so building depth there makes way more sense than even thinking about rostering Antonio Pittman.

 

LaDanian Tomlinson ADP 1.07 – HANDCUFF: Darren Sproles ADP 8.05

Sproles definitely follows the 75 percent rule and his eighth round ADP might look high, but at this point in the draft you’d ideally already have a QB, three WR’s and three RB’s so taking Sproles in the eighth over a backup QB, a fourth WR or a TE makes sense. If you waited this long for a TE, you might as well wait a little longer.

 

Chris Johnson ADP 1.09 – HANDCUFF: LenDale White ADP 6.07

Spending a sixth rounder for LenDale is not even a possibility if you take Chris Johnson as your RB1. White has stand alone value being the TD vulture that he is so you’re just going to have to live without him.

However, keep an eye on him as he doesn’t have many fans and could be overlooked in your draft. If he falls to the 8th, I’d take him without hesitation.

 

Steve Slaton ADP 1.10 – HANDCUFF: none

Undrafted rookie Arian Foster is getting a lot of camp hype and Chris Brown is nestled in at second on the depth chart and even Jeremiah Johnson could see some work, so handcuffing Slaton is just not a viable option

 

DeAngelo Williams ADP 1.12 – HANDCUFF: Jonathan Stewart ADP 6.01

Stewart has been going has high as the fifth round in mocks, which obviously doesn’t make him a handcuff candidate for DWill owners. Stewart still has high expectations so the chances of him slipping in your drafts are very unlikely.

 

Frank Gore ADP 2.01 – HANDCUFF: none

If Gore goes down, so do the 49ers.

 

Brian Westbrook ADP 2.05 – HANDCUFF: LeSean McCoy ADP 8.06

Perhaps it’s because he’s being selected in the second round, and in some cases as a RB2, but the amount of people passing on the opportunity to handcuff rookie LeSean McCoy to Westy in the eighth round is surprising.

Correll Buckhalter proved that he could step right into Westy’s shoes last season and even though McCoy is a rookie, the reports are extremely positive that he could do the same.

 

Brandon Jacobs ADP 2.05 – HANDCUFF: Ahmad Bradshaw ADP 9.07

Last season as Brandon Jacobs sidekick, Derrick Ward finished as a RB23 in standard leagues. Bradshaw as Jacobs new sidekick is currently being selected as the 47th RB. You do the math.

I realize handcuffing second round running backs may not be ideal but after taking a look at that Bradshaw’s ADP and what he could do if Jacobs were to go down, how could you not?

 

Average Draft Position Data from FantasyFootballCalculator.com

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A Look at 17 Free Fantasy Football Quick Reads To Help Plan Your Draft

There is not much more annoying for a fantasy football owner doing your research then clicking somewhere only to be told that the content is for “Premium Members” and you are not allowed access…unless, of course, they want to join. 

Fantasy Football Quick Reads are a collection of FREE fantasy football links for you from around the net.  Choose what applies to you and have a look before the boss comes back around the corner…

I was recently somewhat disappointed when Adrian Peterson fell to me at No. 3 in an Experts PPR league.  I never thought that Peterson would have fell and was liking the idea of either Maurice Jones-Drew or Matt Forte leading my team in the format.

I will learn to live with it, though, and it was likely for the best.  When playing in a PPR (points per reception) league you have to shake up your running back rankings a little bit.  FFJungle.com gives their Top 40 Rankings with PPR HERE.

Kevin at FantasyFootballCalculator.com poses this question…late-round WRs, do you take a risk or play it safe?  Myself I’m more worried about putting points up with my No. 3 WR than I’m “discovering” the next best player.  If I’m high on a sleeper I will take him, not for the discovery bragging rights but because he fits in my plans to win.

Offseason moves can help and hinder the fantasy football outlook of not only the player changing places but the team he joins or leaves behind.  KansasCityStar.com has a look at some of the players making a move this year and what it does to their fantasy stock.

Scott Pianowski at Yahoo! Sports makes a good point regarding NFL strength of schedule.  Fantasy owners should be more worried about putting together a strong roster than guessing about how the NFL schedule will be playing out months from now.

Sports Data Hub isn’t buying Philip Rivers after crunching the numbers.

Pancake Blocks thinks Matt Schaub will be the No. 1 QB this year.

There are some very important position battles going on in camp at the running back position.  Have a look at what Mike Harmon at ESPN has to say on these.

Pro Football Weekly has a nice writeup on which No. 3 WRs are ready to take off.  The way the WR position is flying off draft boards this is some important information here!

The Hazean beats me to the punch on the Most Overrated RBs for 2009.  Another article in the “draft” bin I can scrap.  Procrastination gets you nowhere, Lee!

I love looking at average draft position (ADP) and seeing where these players are going.  There are some things that you have to take into consideration, though, and FantasyFootball.com has a look.

FFGeekBlog has updated their Running Back Cheat Sheet.  Pierre Thomas is moving on up!

Terrell Owens fantasy football production this season is being questioned.  Fantasy Pros 911 have a look at whether or not you should throw a draft pick at him.

KFFL tells about a message being sent to Dwayne Bowe.  A message that has him demoted to practicing with the second and third stringers.

Adam Levitan at RotoWorld.com has a look at the tailbacks on bad football teams.  Interesting nugget they throw out there…

“Over the last 10 seasons, just 19 running backs have managed to be a top-10 fantasy back while their team had a losing record.”

Should you use a fantasy football draft pick on these injured wide receivers like Steve Smith and Antonio Bryant?  Gene Wang at The Washington Post asks an Orthopedic Surgeon for fantasy purposes.

The New York Giants wide receiver position could lead to an uprising fantasy star.  But which one?  4for4.com has a look at the NY Steve Smith.

For more free fantasy football info, check out Football Jabber.  Subscribe via RSS or get Quick Reads delivered to your e-mail.

25 NFL Draft Links That Will Make You Smarter Than Everyone!

25 NFL Draft links that make you smarter than everyone

That’s right kids.  Polish your NFL Draft chops with the enclosed links.  You will indeed learn things that will impress and disgust whoever you throw your knowledge at this NFL Draft holiday weekend!

Barring any trades our final mock draft is up.  You can also check out the picks from our friends in the Mock Draft Database.  For more NFL Draft news, prospect videos and stuff, stop by NFL Draft Hub.

Myself and other bloggers/readers are throwing out picks in the Hazean’s Mock Draft.

Here is a bundle of Mock Drafts from the staff at Fantasy Football Toolbox.

The NFL Draft Dog’s house is a rockin…

The DC Pro Sports Report Mock Draft Database is enjoying their opening season for the NFL Draft.  Join them for all the other sports that have drafts too!  I hear there are some.

Hail Redskins Mock Draft Database listed 221 mocks this season.  Redskin fans go by and see some of the numbers crunched for who the Skins take.

Aaron Curry is role modeling it up all ready.  His entourage for the NFL Draft experience is a 12 year-old  Leukemia survivor and his father.  Pretty damn cool! Bryson Merriweather didn’t get to just hang out with Curry…he going everywhere with him, including the green room at the draft.

“When I told the NFL about what Aaron wanted to do, they said this was unprecedented,” agent Andy Ross of Octagon said Thursday. “There’s such limited space in the Green Room for people to have around you. Who takes that opportunity to do something for someone else?

“Most people look at players as ‘me, me, me’ guys. Aaron is a ‘you, you, you’ guy. He’s not just setting an example for players. He’s setting an example for all of us.”

I’m beginning to wonder if Michael Crabtree is cocky or just not very bright.  Pro Football Talk discusses his NFL.com chat that included a “No Comment” when asked what he thought about playing for the Raiders.

Crabtree’s Five Reasons he has great hands…

Here are 15 things that Pete Prisco cannot figure out why…

USAToday.com has more on the feel good story of the year in Michael Oher’s journey from being homeless to an NFL player.

What if there were not an NFL Draft and players could sign with whoever they want?  Chaos!

NFL Draft day menu with Chef Jimmie.  Whip up some wings!

In the last six years the Saints have made a trade in the first round three times under Mickey Loomis.

A team by team breakdown of the first round from the Star Tribune.

Michael Wilbon has a look at how the Redskins play their version of Fantasy Football in the NFL.

Speaking of the Skins…word is that Jason Campbell will seek a trade if Mark Sanchez is drafted.  That might be taken care of for you Jason.

Everyone has needs.  USA Today covers those of the AFC and the NFC teams.

Walter Football has Jason Smith falling to the Bengals.

RealFootball365.com looks at second day studs.

Finding the small school gems can make the draft for a team.

Here are 10 draft day predictions from the guys at CBS Sports.

NFL Sport Channel Latest

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