Bleacher Report - Articles by Junkyard Jake

NFL Fantasy Football Sleepers and Creepers

Junkyard Jake — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:07:45 -0500

Updated November 17, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

WR Calvin Johnson, Lions

Even a talented crime-fighter like Calvin 'Mega-Tron' Johnson needs a little help from his super friends now and again.

Not to make excuses for his discouraging fantasy performance this season, but the Detroit Lions have no offensive line to speak of, no legitimate No. 2 receiving threat, and Matthew Stafford is no Aquaman.

In fact, no one expected Stafford to have a Dan Marino rookie campaign, but he has played more like a crabby and injury-prone Wonder Woman so far.

That said, few healthy receivers possess the physical ability to dominate mortal cornerbacks like Calvin Johnson, so Stafford can remain his inconsistent self for now. All he really needs to do is throw in the general vicinity of Johnson and positive results are bound to happen.

RB Ricky Williams, Dolphins

At 32 years old, and with a seemingly much more compelling player ahead of him on the depth chart, Ricky Williams really had no business representing a viable fantasy option this year.

The results have obviously suggested otherwise however, as Williams is averaging 72 yards per game and eight TDs so far.

It gets even better, because with Ronnie Brown very likely out this week, the veteran is in line for more extensive action against the questionable Carolina run defense.

Maybe those couple of years he spent at Cannabis University served him well, but whatever the reason, even if Brown returns this season, Williams should continue to serve as at least a solid flex/No. 3 option.

WR Anquan Boldin, Cardinals

Owning Anquan Boldin in fantasy leagues this year has been somewhat analogous to owning the Sears FlapDoodle-5000 lawn tractor.

For anyone unfamiliar with this particular model of lawn tractor, it is a fictitious machine made up specifically for this comparison that never starts when you need it, and sets you back about $500 a year in repairs.

Don't despair though, because Boldin demonstrated last week with his eight catches for 105 yards that he could be past his nagging knee problems.

What makes Boldin even more intriguing is the Cardinals schedule down the stretch this year. From now through Week 16 Arizona faces St. Louis twice along with Tennessee, Detroit, San Francisco, and a marginally tough home game against Minnesota just to keep it somewhat fair.

RB LeSean McCoy/Leonard Weaver, Eagles

With everyone insisting on clobbering Brian Westbrook in the noggin lately, the veteran running back is now in danger of missing multiple games after suffering his second concussion in the last month.

The Eagles still have some strange aversion to running the ball this year, and rookie LeSean McCoy needs to refine his skills as a pass-blocker, but he's proven to be a decent No. 2 fantasy RB when given the chance.

As a receiver, the Eagles don't lose much with McCoy filling in for Westbrook, and he is probably just as effective at the goal line.

If you are really reaching for running back help, Leonard Weaver is a decent guy to consider too, as he is expected to share time with McCoy while Westbrook is out.

RB Justin Forsett, Seahawks

There is nothing positive about an injury to any player, but if we have to grasp for any good news related to the injury to Julius Jones, it might be that the Seahawks have possibly upgraded their running game by default.

Forsett is a bit lacking in the size department, but at 5'8" and 195lbs. he is comparable in stature to Ray Rice.

Moreover, his instinctive running, vision, and acceleration have drawn comparisons to Maurice Jones-Drew.

Forsett has a tough matchup against Minnesota this week, but has the Rams in Week 12 and is worth picking up for immediate RB help.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs

If Dwayne Bowe was taking performance-enhancing drugs this season, we hope he saved the receipt because it hasn't seemed to help him or the Kansas City offense whatsoever.

In any event, Bowe has earned himself a four-game suspension, which knocks him out until Week 15. Obviously Bowe is not going to be much help to you the next month while he is in the studio working on his new hip-hop single with Dr. Androgenic.

If your team is on the fringe of making the fantasy playoffs, it could make sense to deal Bowe away to the 8-2 team in your league for immediate receiver alternatives.

QB Tony Romo, Cowboys

It's always been a challenge to forecast which Tony Romo will show up each week, but at least he's narrowed it down this season. It seems that the 2009 Romo will either be the guy who throws three picks, and needs to be escorted from the stadium under heavy security to avoid being pelted with bottles, or the QB who makes Miles Austin look like Michael Irvin.

Of course, this is just a completely unfair exaggeration, because Romo is obviously a pretty good fantasy QB. However, here are a couple of things to consider as we head into the final weeks of the season.

First off, the Dallas Cowboys schedule against the pass is fairly unfriendly down the stretch. Here is their schedule from Weeks 11-16:

Washington, Oakland, @NY Giants, San Diego, @New Orleans, @Washington.

Secondly, ever since becoming a starter in 2006, Romo has yet to have a good December. Over his career, he has a 19 INT to 14 TD ratio, and a QB rating of 72 in the final month of the season.

RB Laurence Maroney, Patriots

It's probably worth hanging onto Laurence Maroney through the end of the season, but remember to set your expectations sufficiently low enough to avoid the bag-holders remorse that will likely occur.

Maroney hasn't been terrible, but that's about as complimentary as you can get with this guy.

If nothing else, he's been consistent with his typical pattern of an occasional great game, and then right back into the witness protection program.

Maroney's numbers could take an additional hit if Sammy Morris makes it back this week, and also consider that the Patriots are facing some pretty good defenses over the next three weeks, with the Jets at home up next, and then away games against New Orleans and Miami.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick/Trent Edwards, Bills

Bills' coach Dick Jauron was just fired, but was he really going to start Ryan Fitzpatrick again?

It would surely make sense to bench Trent Edwards if the Bills had anything that could be confused with a potentially better option, but what in the world has Ryan Fitzpatrick done to suggest he is that better option?

In the battle of the former Ivy League QBs who are probably better suited as government lobbyists or aerospace engineers, Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick has a 49 QB rating and has completed 49 percent of his passes this season, while Stanford's Trent Edwards has a 78 QB rating and has completed 61 percent of his passes.

Applying simple mathematics to this situation, it's easy to conclude that Trent Edwards is partly awful with a chance of occasional offense, while Ryan Fitzpatrick does little more than keep the punter busy.

Either way, this is a situation to keep away from.

RB Larry Johnson, Cincinnati

It's nice to see Larry Johnson escape the Kansas City Chiefs so he can possibly finish out his career with a playoff contending team, which engages in something resembling marginally effective offensive football.

Of course the problem still remains that Johnson is missing a few steps from the front porch on his old house, and is in jeopardy of getting shutdown by the building inspector.

For now, Johnson looks to be around No. 4 on the Bengals' depth chart behind Benson, Bernard Scott, and Brian Leonard, so he is probably not worth picking up unless he is your Twitter buddy.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers: Nov.4

Junkyard Jake — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:58 -0500

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated November 4, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Malcolm Floyd ,WR

- Well, apparently the Chargers had enough of watching Chris Chambers get in the way of their other receivers who have a chance of catching the ball. They summarily granted the 31 year old receiver his release on Monday, leaving career backup Malcolm Floyd to vie for the residual passes that don't go in Vincent Jackson's or Antonio Gate's direction. At 6-5 and 225 lbs, Floyd is a huge target and has decent speed to boot, so it wouldn't be surprising if he does well as a starter. Keep in mind however that the Charger's passing offense is still largely controlled by a Phillips/Jackson/Gates oligarchy, so Floyd's value will likely be limited to a speculative play going forward.

Dustin Keller ,TE

- Dustin Keller finally broke out of his slumber against Miami to deliver the respectable fantasy output he is capable of. Unfortunately, many fantasy managers probably either dropped him or watched Keller help their bench players outscore their selected week 8 lineup. It's difficult to say if Keller will be trustworthy going forward, but note that he led the team in targets with 13 in week 8. Also consider that Keller was the preferred target over Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards in the redzone, where he was targeted three times this past week.

Jamaal Charles/Kolby Smith ,RB

- The Kansas City Chiefs offense no doubt spent the bye figuring out different ways that they could represent an abject embarrassment to professional sports. Of course, we won't see the details of this plan in action until Sunday, but what we do know for certain is that the scoreboard operator will not be deprived of his typical naptime and Larry Johnson will be suspended for at least one game. Jamaal Charles should be the primary beneficiary of the Johnson suspension, but don't count out Kolby Smith who returns from injured reserve this week. Whatever the ultimate RB mix this week, the Chiefs get a decent matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, so either guy is worth flex consideration.

Zach Miller ,TE

- Zach miller is kind of like the conscientious GM assembly line worker helping to churn out Chevy Aveo's for a bankrupt and languishing organization. Of course, the sad thing about this analogy, is that comparing the Oakland Raider offense to a Chevy Aveo may actually be too generous. For now, Miller remains the only member of the Raider offense who is arguably worth consideration as a fantasy starter, and you can't help to wonder what Miller could actually accomplish on a functional offensive team with a competent quarterback.

Mike Thomas ,WR

- Mike Thomas is an interesting rookie receiver who has quietly been assuming a more significant role over the past two games for the Jaguars, where he has accumulated over 50 yards in each game. Against the Titans this past week, he actually had more pass targets (7) than Mike Sims-Walker (3). He is almost certainly still available on your waiver wire, because at a dimutive 5-8 (5-9 with his fancy shoes), he is a little bit difficult to locate. If you need depth at receiver though, he's not a bad guy to consider, especially in leagues that award points for return yardage.

Josh Freeman/Antonio Bryant ,QB/WR

- To any saavy fantasy player, this will not occur to be a revolutionary thought, but it needs to said anyway—it seems very unlikely that a midseason transition to rookie QB Josh Freeman is going to help reverse the fortunes of the team's dreadful passing offense. Freeman does have a rocket arm, but will need to improve his accuracy to make an impression in the pros. Moreover, he is considered quite raw, even compared to the typical rookie QB. Really, the only way that the Buccaneers could have sent a clearer signal that they were conceding the remainder of the 2009 season, is if they replaced the pennant on the Raymond James Stadium pirate ship with a white flag exhibiting a new team symbol of Droopy Dog holding a bottle of Prozac.

Steve Slaton ,RB

- Given that Steve Slaton was abruptly pulled after serving up his 3rd turnover in three weeks, it's probably safe to conclude that Houston head coach Gary Kubiak has a low tolerance for chronically fumbling runningbacks. At least Slaton got his day over early, because his fumble and immediate benching occurred on his very first carry of the game. Maybe we should have seen this coming, as Kubiak still makes his youngest son do 75 pushups and a couple laps if he drops a cookie on the kitchen floor.

Donnie Avery ,WR

- Donnie 'Peanut Brittle' Avery had his big chance to do something significant against the Lions in week 8, and as we should have expected, he blew it. At least the fragile 2nd year receiver seemed to emerge from the Rams latest passing offensive debacle without hurting himself again. Unfortunately, fantasy teams who chose to start Avery had no such luck, as they absorbed the usual damage that results from starting any receiver associated with the Rams.

Mohamed Massaquoi ,WR

- How long is Browns head coach Eric Mangini going to stick with his awful decision to start Derek Anderson ? Maybe he is waiting for Titans owner Bud Adams to give him a call and tell him to switch back to Brady Quinn ? That seemed to work, at least temporarily, in the Vince Young situation. Please Bud Adams, do Cleveland Browns fans a favor and give Mangini some much needed QB advice so Derek Anderson can pack up his 36.2 QB rating and head back into hibernation.

Julius Jones ,RB

- Julius Jones started off the season on a very optimistic note, with 119 yards and a TD in week one. However, considering Jone's undistinguished performance over the past couple years, we should have suspected that this one week explosion was just a cruel hoax. Sure enough, as the 2009 season has progressed, Julius Jones is drifting deeper into the Seattle fog. He's now reached the point where he is now almost exactly on pace to match his unmemorable 2008 season, when he finished with 698 yards and a paltry 2 TDs. Seattle plays Detroit this week, so if by some miracle Jones has a significant game it would be a great opportunity to dump him in a trade of some kind.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers: October 28th

Junkyard Jake — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:30:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated October 28, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Chris Wells , RB

- Nothing against Tim Hightower, but watching him over the past two years it really seems that he excels in two distinct areas - 1) running face first into a pile of defenders for two yards and 2) catching five yard dump-off passes.

This past week, rookie Chris Wells was finally given a chance to show what he is capable of, and he finished the day with 14 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Considering that Wells accomplished this against the Giants defense, it should be considered a fairly encouraging career development for the rookie.

While Tim Hightower still has the better hands to contribute on passing downs, Wells should gradually become the primary rushing option for the Cardinals.

Nate Washington/Kenny Britt , WR

- As long as the Titan defense is going to give away points like Oprah gives away 40 inch TVs, Tennessee will need throw the ball more often than they want (Or should be allowed to).

Nate Washington remains the closest thing the team has to a skillful and experienced receiver, while Kenny Britt should continue to whittle away at Justin Gage’s playing time.

As far as the unstable quarterback situation, it shouldn’t matter much if Kerry Collins gets benched, because Vince Young really couldn’t do much worse.

Shonn Greene , RB

- After Leon Washington’s unfortunate injury, which is very likely season-ending, rookie Shonn Greene now finds himself the number two RB option for the NY Jets.

Not blessed with impressive speed, and with only one notable statistical season in college, Greene appears to be somewhat of a classic overachiever. On the positive side, Greene has great size and shows a real knack for breaking tackles and running over people.

While his huge outing this past week was clearly facilitated by the blundering Oakland Raider run defense, if Greene continues to overachieve in the magnitude of anything close to 144 yards and two touchdowns, we’ll take that all day long.

LeSean McCoy , RB

- It was a relief to see that Brian Westbrook was not seriously injured this past Monday night. Evidently, the bell on his trolley was clanged pretty hard, and now it appears that he may need to sit this week after a fairly nasty concussion.

As terrific a player as Brian Westbrook has been over the past eight seasons, he has never been able to play a complete season, and with his ongoing knee/ankle issues, this year has been especially tenuous.

LeSean McCoy has not looked great the past three weeks, averaging about 2.5 YPC, but he filled in competently when Westbrook missed time in week three and has enough upside to make him worth stashing on your roster for the 2nd half.

Fred Davis ,TE

- Davis was a highly-regarded TE prospect in the 2008 draft, but he played the part of a dumbfounded rookie a bit too well last season and gave himself little chance to see the field.

Of course, having Chris Cooley ahead of him on the depth chart didn’t help either, but with Washington’s starting TE out for at least one month, Davis now gets his chance. He’s got great hands, deceptive speed and he’s not bad after the catch so Davis should be able to step in for Cooley as a decent fantasy contributor.

Not to mention, if there is anything that the Redskin offense seems to do well, it’s the prosaic and usually innocuous nine yard pass to the tight end.

Larry Johnson , RB

- The Chiefs will use this week's bye to conduct a thorough and ultimately pointless investigation into Larry Johnson's Twitter ramblings, because if there is anything the NFL can't tolerate it's slandering the press with words that could be possibly construed as politically incorrect.

Let's just hope Johnson didn't call anyone a 'big doodie-head', because the league will be forced to levy a hefty and proportional punishment that fits that brand of transgression.

Notwithstanding the outcome of Johnson's Twitter controversy, the more relevant reason to stray away from Johnson from a fantasy perspective is his 51 yards per game, 0 touchdowns and 2.7 yards per carry.

Trent Edwards , QB

- Trent Edwards is arguably a better quarterback than Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the sad reality is that the margin of difference is not worth calculating, and for now, Fitzpatrick has somehow used his negligible skills to pull off two victories for the Bills.

While Edwards is still shaking off the effects of his recent concussion, Fitzpatrick will get yet another start this week against Houston, then the Bills have a bye, then who knows what Buffalo will decide to do.

In conclusion, there is probably little reason to hold onto Edwards if you can use the roster spot more constructively.

Derek Anderson , QB

- Forget about water boarding, the CIA should use game film of Derek Anderson throwing a football as part of their cruel and unusual interrogation methods when trying to get information from international terrorism suspects.

Rumor has it that rookie receiver Brian Robiskie was ready to confess to the assassination of King Henry III just to get out of viewing game film this past week. While Brady Quinn wasn't doing anything special as the Browns starter, at least he cracked 150 yards in his two full starts.

Anderson is averaging 121 yards per game with a passer rating of 40.6, and should be purged from fantasy rosters before he does any more damage.

Lendale White , RB

- Unlike last year, the Tennessee haven't had a great deal of luck getting near the goalline very frequently, and this has rendered Lendale White essentially useless for fantasy purposes so far.

Without the chance of easy touchdown plunges and with rookie Javon Ringer looking pretty good, it could be that Lendale White's only hope of using his girth in some beneficial way will be as a Salvation Army Santa this upcoming holiday season.

Ted Ginn Jr. , WR

- Between his untimely pass dropping, and his chronic inconsistency, Ted Ginn Jr. appears to be close to playing himself out of a starting job in Miami.

Moreover, since Dolphins GM Bill Parcels is not known as the patient, naturing type, it wasn't surprising to hear the rumor that Ginn was discussed as a possible trade candidate before the recent deadline.

Going forward, Ginn might be good for an occasional long touchdown with Chad Henne at quarterback, but with only 5 touchdowns over 35 career games you might be better off waiting for the Loch Ness Monster to stop by and help remove those tree stumps in your yard you've been hoping to get around to.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers: Oct. 21

Junkyard Jake — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:06:21 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Oct. 21, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Kyle Orton, QB

Well, let's face it, it's probably going to be impossible to figure out just who will strike Kyle Orton's fancy as he is orchestrating those tedious but effective Denver Bronco offensive drives.

This week Tony Scheffler emerged from Josh McDaniels' secret offensive playbook lair to cause most of the passing offense mayhem with six catches, 101 yards, and a TD. Forget about predicting when that will happen again, but for now QB Kyle Orton seems like a safe guy to throw in your lineup with the expectation that he will connect with someone for constructive results.

James Jones/Jermichael Finley, WR/TE

There aren't many teams whose secondary TE and No. 3 receiver you might consider, but the Packers don't represent the typical mundane passing offense when things are clicking.

QB Aaron Rodgers has gradually found his groove over the past three weeks, and over the past two games against Minnesota and Detroit he has launched 37 passes. For all intents and purposes, TE Jermichael Finley has surpassed Donald Lee as Green Bay's top option at TE, and James Jones gets the chance to fill in for injured Jordy Nelson over the next couple weeks.

Both these guys are certainly worth a shot in deep leagues as the Packers face Cleveland, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay over the next three games.

Michael Crabtree, WR

Yes Crabtree is the whining prima donna who was insulted by his team’s original multi-million dollar contract. After all, he hasn’t proven anything yet so it certainly made sense for him to holdout until he got his additional pile of money plus assorted superfluous incentive perks.

Now just out of principle, if Crabtree wasn’t going to immediately start for the receiver-deprived San Francisco 49ers, he should be left on the waiver wire. However, since the rookie has apparently made an immediate good impression, and the 49ers are desperate enough to believe it will translate into game performance, he is a decent fantasy prospect to take a chance on.

Jonathan Stewart, RB

While the Tampa Bay defense was giving WR Steve Smith secret service coverage like he was the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Panther running game seemed to benefit from the lack of attention.

While DeAngelo Williams was his typical rambunctious self, it was a pleasant surprise to see Jonathan Stewart get on track. Maybe Stewart is finally shaking his nagging Achilles injury as suggested by his best fantasy performance since last December. He finished with 17 carries for 110 yards and a TD on the day.

Mike Bell, RB

Pierre Thomas was the more effective runner, but Mike Bell returned from a two week absence to share equal carries and convert a redzone opportunity. Reggie Bush is still meandering around in a role that seemingly becomes more insignificant each week, but Bell seems like a safer bet to misappropriate some of Thomas's carries and vulture some of the ample TD opportunities that the Saints offense usually creates.

Cedric Benson, RB

Every player is entitled to a bad game, but 44 yards on 16 carries against the Houston Texans cupcake run defense raises a little bit of a warning flag, especially for a running back with a notorious history of disappointments like Cedric Benson.

It's probably nothing to worry about for now, as Benson has clearly excelled in his workhorse role so far this season. However, with his market price at a bubble valuation and upcoming games against Chicago, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, it could make sense to test the trade market if you can pull off an upgrade.

Willis McGahee, RB

With Ray Rice running like Astro Boy, the Japanese anime dual jet-pack protagonist robot, and the Ravens passing game working overtime to compensate for the team's suddenly mediocre defense, there are obviously a few factors conspiring against Willis McGahee.

He is certainly worth hanging onto for fantasy purposes, because he is still likely to see goal line chances, but his early season success now appears to have been disingenuous.

Randy Moss, WR

Yes, the Patriots offense was filthy explosive this past week, but unfortunately they will not have the luxury of facing a befuddled and snow-blinded Titans secondary every week. Not to say that Randy Moss doesn't have anymore multiple TD surprises in store for this season, but after the Patriots Week Eight bye, their schedule turns a bit tougher—with Miami, Indianapolis, and the NY Jets on deck.

Certainly if receiver is a strong position on your fantasy team, it wouldn't be crazy to leverage Moss' huge game in a trade to fill a weak spot on your roster.

Chris Chambers, WR

OK, check please—if there was any doubt that Chris Chambers is past the point of fantasy consideration, yet another 30 yard performance this past week should be the clincher. It certainly is not like Phillip Rivers has boycotted the bumbling receiver from the passing game either. Chambers has gotten an average of six targets per game so far, but only 27 percent of these throws have resulted in some kind of nominally positive result.

Jake Delhomme/Muhsin Muhammad, QB/WR

You have to wonder if Jake Delhomme would even know what to do if he had a second viable receiver at his disposal. The whole "try to throw it to Steve Smith no matter how many defenders are draped all over him" routine is surely growing stale, and Muhsin Muhammad is about as threatening as a Toyota Prius with 'Hello Kitty' mudflaps.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers: Oct. 14

Junkyard Jake — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:48:48 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Oct. 14, 2009

JunkyardJake.Com

Jeremy Maclin, WR

While Kevin Curtis once again led the Eagles in chronic knee problems, rookie Jeremy Maclin stepped in to lead the team in all the other categories that count, like pass targets, catches, receiving yards, long distance TDs, photo ops, kissed babies, and shoe deals.

Barring some miraculous event that allows 31-year-old Curtis to regain his ability to fly around the field like he did during his 1,110-yard season in 2007, it's hard to imagine how the Eagles are going to keep Maclin out of the starting lineup.

Knowshon Moreno/Eddie Royal, RB/WR

Well, after a convincing 5-0 start, it may be time to begrudgingly give fantasy killjoy head coach Josh McDaniels his due credit. As the Broncos secured their improbable fifth straight win this week, some encouraging signs of clarity on the fantasy front also emerged.

For one thing, rookie RB Knowshon Moreno stepped up to competently handle the lead role against a tough New England defense, ending the day with 88 yards on 21 carries. Also encouraging was the fact that Eddie Royal was given a week off from his job as a downfield decoy and caught 10 of his team-leading 15 pass targets.

Chad Henne/Greg Camarillo, QB/WR

There was a strong chance that after Marc Anthony's inspired national anthem appearance, it was going to be all downhill for the Dolphins against the Jets this past Monday night. The Dolphins offense would have none of that pessimism however, and responded with about seven different versions of the wildcat to flaunt their run dominance—one version which I swear resulted in coach Tony Sparano gaining about 12 yards on an end-around.

Also noteworthy was the fairly amazing performance by rifle-armed Chad Henne, in only his 2nd pro start. Needless to say, it's so far so good for Henne and the Dolphins receivers, and there is no doubt that Miami hasn't seen a fastball like Henne's since AJ Burnett was pitching for the Marlins.

Hakeem Nicks, WR

The Giants passing game is working so well right now that even a proven chump like David Carr was able to step in and complete 64 percent of his passes. If Carr's historical statistics were worth looking up, I'd check the numbers, but I'm guessing that 64 percent might be double his career completion rate.

In any event, now that Eli Mannings plantar fascia drama is temporarily postponed, and Mario Manningham is discovering a newfound talent for dropping passes, it might make sense to look at rookie Hakeem Nicks as a possible fantasy bench addition. Nicks has scored two weeks in a row, and led the Giants in targets this past week with six, including two red-zone targets.

Anthony Gonzalez/Austin Collie, WR

It's yet to be seen if Anthony Gonzalez will actually return after the Colts Week Six bye to play the Rams in Week Seven, but the way that Peyton Manning is making a mockery of modern pass defense so far this season, he is worth picking up and stashing away if he is available in your league. Under the scenario that he can return, Pierre Garcon is likely the odd guy out, as Gonzalez moves outside, and emerging rookie Austin Collie takes over in the slot.

Justin Fargas, RB

If there is anything consistent about the Raiders this year, it is that someone is willing to step up each game to become one of the colossal fantasy disappointments of the week. Although the entire team was uniformly incompetent against the Giants this past week, the dubious distinction of colossal fantasy disappointment probably goes to Justin Fargas, who managed just 18 yards on 11 carries and doesn't deserve to be on anyone's fantasy roster.

David Garrard/Torry Holt, QB/WR

After the 41-0 trouncing by Seattle this weekend, it is easy to see why the city of Jacksonville is rooting for the discovery of water on the moon, as they would gladly allow their home team to relocate there in the near future.

In fact, maybe that's why Michael Sims-Walker missed the game this week, he was trying out his new lunar running shoes. Torry Holt, did have a decent game with seven catches for 95 yards, but the fact that Jacksonville passing offense couldn't even generate a garbage-time TD in a 41-0 blowout is an ominous sign.

Laurence Maroney, RB

Well, for one thing, Laurence Maroney's performance is becoming easier to forecast. With Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney does essentially nothing, without Fred Taylor Laurence Maroney does pretty much the same.

How does Maroney respond to matchups? Difficult matchup equals zilch, easy matchup equals zilch plus zippo. How about while wearing throwback uniform, on the road, versus an NFC East opponent? That's right, under that scenario, Maroney is about good for diddly-squat with a side of scrambled goose eggs.

Jerome Harrison/Jamal Lewis, RB

Evidently, the Browns-Bills game was rained out around the fourth inning this weekend, with Cleveland coming away with a soggy 6-3 victory. Of course, in what seems to be an emerging pattern for the Browns offense, the main contributor was probably the guy you would least expect.

In fact, Jamal Lewis wasn't really even expected to play, but he plodded his way to 117 yards on 31 carries nonetheless. Going forward, it seems that Browns coach Eric Mangini is perfectly comfortable going with a marginally effective Jamal Lewis mixed in with a smattering of Jerome Harrison, but this seems to be a backfield situation to avoid for fantasy purposes.

Patrick Crayton, WR

Not to take anything away from Miles Austin, but unless he is the long lost progeny of bionic man Steve Austin, his insane 250-yard, two-touchdown performance this past week seems to have "accidental aberration" written all over it.

That said, Austin is at least a slight upgrade over Crayton, and it appears that the Cowboys are going to give their new breakout receiver a chance to prove his legitimacy. Until further noice, Crayton's fantasy value takes a significant hit as Austin likely sees more playing time across from Roy Williams.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers: Oct. 8

Junkyard Jake — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:15:01 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Oct. 8, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Kenny Britt, WR

- While the Tennessee Titans seem to have lost their direction, their ability to stop anyone on defense, probably some season ticker holders, and certainly whatever community goodwill they had accrued from their 13-3 season in 2008, all is not completely lost for the team this year.

One reason for cautious optimism has been the play of rookie receiver Kenny Britt. Although he is supposed to be backing up Justin Gage, Britt was actually targeted 11 times compared to Gage’s five targets this past week, and his 271 yards thus far puts him on pace for a 1,100 yard season.

There are many other worse choices you could make as your No. 3 receiver, so Britt is certainly worth picking up.

Leon Washington/Dustin Keller, RB/TE

- Washington and Keller sputtered along to barely mentionable performances along with the rest of the Jets this past week against New Orleans, helping to create a possibly interesting ‘bad news/good news’ situation.

The ‘bad news’, is that by failing to do anything offensively this past week, the Jets have helped to encourage the Saints delusional belief that they know how to play defense.

The ‘good news’ is that the Jets schedule over the next month turns ridiculously easy (Oakland, Buffalo, two games vs. Miami) so Washington and Keller should make amends for their respective slow starts in the near term.

Marques Colston/Devery Henderson, WR

- In what constitutes a full-blown fantasy football crisis, New Orleans QB Drew Brees has thrown for exactly zero TDs over the past two games. To help understand how unlikely this is, Brees usually throws for 300 yards and 2 TDs during his bye week. Ok, not really, but you get the point.

Coincidentally, while the Saints are on bye this week, it could make sense to work out a trade for Colston or Henderson, as the Saints have some great matchups over weeks seven through 11, with games against the Dolphins, Falcons, Panthers, Rams and Buccaneers.

Colston is of course the more consistent option, but Henderson is worth consideration given his big-play potential.

Marshawn Lynch, RB

- It wasn’t exactly a triumphant return for Marshawn Lynch this past week, as he rushed for a grand total of four yards on eight carries. While he clearly seems to be suffering from suspension hangover, note that he was at least active on passing downs with five catches for 43 yards.

Fred Jackson will surely maintain a significant role in the Bills running game going forward, but the Jackson/Lynch coalition will probably transpire into around a 50-50 carry timeshare. Moreover, Lynch’s career average of 4 YPC suggests that he probably won’t have too many more games where he gains half-a-yard per carry.

Mohamed Massaquoi, WR

Ok, so Massaquoi was targeted 13 times this past week, ending the day with 8 catches and 148 yards. Those kind of numbers deserve attention, but it's truly surprising that Brian Robiskie isn't the guy being talked about at this point. In fact, Brain Robiskie please report to the front desk so we can slap some sense into you.

So is Massaquoi for real? Well, he's got good size and strength, decent speed, and a strong work ethic. More importantly for immediate fantasy purposes, he's got Derek Anderson's attention and with the departure of Braylon Edwards, the tentative No. 1 receiver spot on the Browns.

JaMarcus Russell, QB

- You probably could just throw a dart at the Raiders offensive depth chart and fill in the blank here, but JaMarcus Russell has really been so bad that he has possibly distinguished as the most inept player on a completely dysfunctional offensive unit.

It was especially amusing that right after Russell completed 36 percent of his passes for 128 yards, Raiders coach Tom ‘Hitman’ Cable went on to say 'I thought (Russell) played his best football all year in terms of where he is going with it and his presence and all of those things...'...Really Hitman?

Cable also mentioned that he thought Gilbert Gottfried has a lovely singing voice, and how impressed he was that Darrius Heyward-Bey dropped less than five passes this week.

Kerry Collins/LenDale White, QB/RB

- If you are an NFL quarterback, you know things are going bad for you when there is talk that you may soon be replaced by Vince Young. For the Titans to go back to Vince Young, at this point is probably like Regis ditching Kelly Ripa for Kathy Lee Griffin again. However, with the Titans at 0-4, and possibly reaching for the panic button, the transition from Collins to Young can’t be ruled out.

As far as LenDale White goes, he was definitely a lot more fun when he was a jolly 30 pounds heavier. This new svelte Lendale White with his five carries for 20 yards a game is kindof a bummer.

Fantasy football fans everywhere might consider a campaign to start baking him some of those rum & chocolate chip bundt cakes he allegedly gave up this offseason.

Kyle Boller/Marc Bulger/Donnie Avery, QB/WR

Kyle Boller threw his hat into the ring to stake his claim to the enviable position of Rams starting QB this week. Unfortunately, like many of Boller’s passes, the hat missed the ring, and hit an unsuspecting fan in the face.

Basically, the lessons here are: 1) don’t sit in the first five rows when Kyle Boller is planning to throw footballs or hats. 2) There really does not seem to be anyone worth starting from the Rams offense who isn’t named ‘Steven Jackson’.

Braylon Edwards, WR

- So is Mohamed Massaquoi really that good or is Braylon Edwards just too occupied with planning his next career as a capricious street fighter vigilante? It’s hard to say, but between his new personal indiscretions, his lack of focus and having footballs bounce off his helmet three or four times a game, Edwards' 1,289 yard 16 TD season in 2006 seems like a very distant memory.

The trade this week to the Jets lends hope, but it is probably safer to use other options in case Edwards finds new ways to get himself into trouble in his new zip code.

Deion Branch/Nate Burleson, WR

- Welcome back Deion Branch! Will this be an extended return, or will you go on to miss half the season like you usually do? One positive for Branch this week, is that he did catch 100 percent of the six targets thrown in his direction.

However, as long as Branch can manage to stay on the field, there probably isn’t enough mediocre passing offense to go around in Seattle to make him and Burleson dependable enough to use for fantasy purposes.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers- 9/30

Junkyard Jake — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:54:29 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated September 29, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Glen Coffee/Vernon Davis, RB/TE

It took a couple days to figure out what type of foot/ankle and/or strain/sprain it was that sent Frank Gore to the locker room on the first offensive snap of the game this past Sunday, but what we do know for almost certain, is that we probably won't be seeing Mr. Gore until after San Franciso's week six bye. This makes Glen Coffee a great pickup this week, especially against the clumsy Rams defense.

Vernon Davis, who just had a career game of seven catches for 96 yards and two TDs, is another interesting prospect who should see more chances with Frank Gore out. Provided that you are not holding a grudge because you had Davis on your team in any of the past three years, he is definitely worth picking up as well.

Mike Wallace, WR

Sorry 60 Minutes Mike Wallace, you are pretty cool, but Pittsburgh's rookie receiver is my new favorite Mike Wallace. Wallace can flat-out fly down the field, and unlike Limas Sweed, he also seems to hang onto the ball after Ben Roethlisberger hits him in the hands. There is a good chance that the rookie will assume the deep threat role that Nate Washington filled for the Steelers last year, so he should be worth stashing on your roster.

Jerome Harrison, RB

- It was against the tough Ravens defense, but he came through with 16 carries for 52 yards, also converting seven pass targets into five catches for 33 yards. Not a tremendous statistical day, but it's safe to say Harrison strengthened his claim to the Browns number two RB spot because James Davis did virtually nothing with his chances. Of course the Browns number two job is a rather lucrative position these days, since Jamal Lewis is likely to remain as reliable as your pothead friend when you ask him to pick you up at the airport.

Johnny Knox,WR

- As far as the Earl Bennett/Johnny Knox sweepstakes goes, the apparent edge goes to Earl Bennett this week, as he finished with four catches for 80 yards. However, the box score was a little deceiving in terms of the Bennett/Knox rotation. While Knox had one catch for seven, he was targeted three times, and twice in the redzone. Bennett was targeted only four times in total, with no redzone targets. Knox still seems to be the guy with the best upside given his exceptional speed and ability to gain consistent separation.

Jamaal Charles ,RB

- Anyone else getting the nagging suspicion that Larry Johnson is about to get cancelled like a Jeff Foxworthy TV show? Johnson certainly seems to be running more like Larry the Cable Guy these days, with 136 total rush yards, and a YPC of only 2.5. Meanwhile, second year running back Jamaal Charles seemed to provide a spark when he was given the chance this week, gaining six yards per carry in limited duty (six carries for 36 yards). Charles was also fairly active in the passing game, with four targets.

Fred Taylor/Laurence Maroney ,RB

- Laurence Maroney was once again hiding in his injury bunker against the Falcons this week, allowing Fred Taylor to party like it was 1999. Taylor ended his productive day with 21 carries for 105 yards and one TD, a stat line that will no doubt have him showing up in week four fantasy lineups. That's fine if it works, but with the New England running back rotation still looking like a covert operation, and this weeks matchup versus Baltimore, it's probably best to steer clear of the Patriots running game altogether.

Bryant Johnson, WR

- On the surface, it looks like the Lions found themselves a viable number two receiver this week in Bryant Johnson, afterall, he finished the day with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. However, before anyone goes starting Bryant over Santonio Holmes or Steve Smith this week, also consider that Bryant was targeted 13 times, meaning he only caught 30% of the balls thrown to him.

There seems to be maybe two conclusions here - 1) On the plays where Calvin Johnson isn't triple covered, Matthew Stafford will gradually become more comfortable throwing it in his direction more often and 2) If you put one of those big 35 LB Rubbermaid trash receptacles in the corner of the endzone with a careless free safety covering, chances are any NFL QB will be able to hit it for a 21 yard touchdown.

Eddie Royal, WR

- OK Josh McDaniels, we get it, you are a super-genius who can win football games with marginal talent receivers like Jabar Gaffney that you worked with in New England, while leaving Eddie Royal on the sidelines playing checkers with the offensive coordinator. Terrific, we are really impressed, just don't come whining to us when your defense lets you down and actually need to score some points.

Jamal Lewis, RB

-So, was Jamal Lewis really injured in week three, or has he come to the realization that the Browns are just so hapless that he decided to call in sick on Sunday because he figured playing golf with Michael Jordan was a much more constructive use of his time?... ..(nasally voice)...yeah coach this is Jamal...(cough..cough).., I'm really sick today, I'll try to make it in next week...That's okay Jamal, you get well, it was a little more interesting watching Jerome Harrison anyway.

Robert Meachem, WR

- Maybe someday we will all have that miraculous Robert Meachem story to tell our grandkids. You know the one, it kind of goes like...'Yeah, I picked Robert Meachem in the 14th round of my fantasy draft, and he went on to have a 1,100 yard 12 TD season just like I knew he could'. Alas, we may need to wait yet another year for Meachem to do anything noteworthy, he is just too inconsistent to depend on for fantasy purposes right now.

Fantasy Football Sleepers and Creepers For Week Three

Junkyard Jake — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:48:00 -0400

Sleepers

Pierre Thomas, RB New Orleans

A fantasy outcast just one short week ago, Pierre Thomas will likely find himself thrust back into significant playing time as a result of Mike Bell's untimely knee injury. It's easy to have a short memory concerning Thomas, since he was sucked into the injury nebulous over the first couple weeks.

But remember, he was the guy who effectively replaced Reggie Bush down the stretch last season, with 909 total yards and nine touchdowns, mostly accumulated after Week 11.

Thomas has had a few weeks to recover from his own knee injury, and was ready to go in Week Two, so he's a decent guy to pickup for running back help if someone hastily dropped him in your league.

Donald Brown, RB Indianapolis

There is no doubt that the Miami defense had something to do with it, but Joseph Addai gave his 2009 fantasy owners some unpleasant flashbacks from 2008 when he stumbled along to a six-carrys, 32-yard performance this Monday night.

Meanwhile, Donald Brown gave a glimpse of his potential with a six and a half yards per carry, a 24-yard catch and one touchdown in his role as Addai's No. 2.

Even if Addai remains the starter, Brown should absolutely not be left on your waiver wire, and Addai owners may want to mobilize some trade offers if they can get something in return for the former fantasy star.

Torry Holt/Mike Sims-Walker, WR Jacksonville

If you can't help yawning at the thought of picking up Torry Holt, you are not alone. There is really nothing exciting about a 33 year-old receiver in a dysfunctional passing offense.

However, Holt is still a savvy player and he represents the No. 1 option for Jacksonville, evidenced by the fact that David Garrard looked his way 11 times this past week.

Mike Sims-Walker is a more interesting, albeit risky prospect, with good size, great hands, decent speed, and solid instincts. Sims-Walker gets his chance as Jacksonville's No. 2 wide-out now that Troy Williamson is out for the season.

Laurent Robinson, WR St. Louis

It must be a lonely job as the only guy trying to help the Rams move the ball down the field in their passing game. But, as of right now, Laurent Robinson is that guy.

At 6-foot-2, Robinson has good size, shows decent burst, and seems to have improved his route-running compared to his first couple seasons in the league.

We'll see if he can keep it up, but so far he is the Rams No. 1 receiver with 21 targets, including four red zone opportunities.

Justin Forsett, RB Seattle

Justin Forsett is quietly becoming a factor in the Seattle offense—this week he finished with five carries for 35 yards, along with six catches for 57 yards. Although Edgerrin James is technically the primary backup to Julius Jones, it may turn out that Forsett retains the most value.

Unfortunately, you can't teach size, and with Forsett at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, it will almost certainly preclude him from being a lead back in the NFL.

But he is definitely worth picking up as a contingency plan for Julius Jones, or even a possible flex option.

Creepers

Donnie Avery, WR St. Louis

It's way too early to give up on Avery, but there were doubts about the second-year receiver being able to handle a No. 1 receiver role given his small stature.

Those doubts are starting to materialize a bit.

In fact, word is that his teammates voted him "Most likely Player to be Adversely Affected by a Strong Gust of Wind" and at 185 pounds, he is very susceptible to getting mugged at the line by larger cornerbacks.

He probably has nearly no trade value, but Avery is absolutely not startable right now.

Earl Bennett, WR Chicago

In just one week, Earl Bennett went from potential centerpiece of the Bears passing game with 16 targets, to the receiver who was sent to the bench and then convincingly outplayed by a rookie.

Truth is, rookie Johnny Knox has no business making a consistent impact this year, but he does have better speed and big-play ability compared to Bennett.

Nonetheless, both players should probably be banished from starting lineups until Jay Cutler figures out who he wants to throw to.

Ray Rice, RB Baltimore

One of the darlings of this year's preseason hype machine, Ray Rice is so far turning out to be the complementary player in the Ravens running game. It seems to be a logical fit given his diminutive physique and unique passing down skills.

So far, Rice's alleged backup Willis McGahee has received 25 carries to Rice's 28. Their yardage is almost identical, and McGahee has the clear touchdown advantage, four to zero.

It certainly would not be unreasonable to contemplate trading Rice if you can upgrade another position on your fantasy team.

Brandon Marshall, WR Denver

Aside from trying to prove he was more eccentric than Michael Crabtree, Marshall didn't accomplish much over the offseason, and he continues to do nothing but underachieve.

The new Broncos passing offense clearly does not rely on a featured pair of wideouts, so there is a fairly good chance that Marshall won't be a 1,200 yard guy this year.

However, he does represent decent trade bait if another owner in your league is seeking another flaky, overrated receiver to pair up with Terrell Owens on their roster.

Joey Galloway, WR New England

Given that the Jets bottled up Randy Moss pretty well and Wes Welker was apparently abducted by aliens two minutes before game time, Joey Galloway was Tom Brady's most popular target this past week with 13 looks.

Unfortunately, that seemed to be more than the 38 year-old receiver could handle at this point in his career, as he ended the day with only five catches for 53 yards.

When Welker returns, Galloway can go back to planning his retirement fishing trips.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers for Week Two

Junkyard Jake — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:15:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Sept. 17, 2009 JunkyardJake.com

Carnell Williams/Derrick Ward, RB

It's nice to see Carnell Williams emerge from seclusion to show that he can still gain positive yardage; everyone definitely had doubts after his two consecutive 200-yard seasons.

Williams and Derrick Ward received almost equal carries this week, and though Williams outgained Ward in yards, 97 to 62, Ward seemed to be the preferred guy in the red zone (four attempts).

Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB

The 49ers focused on stopping Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, so Tim Hightower received a silly amount of looks in the passing game this week, with 14 targets and 12 catches.

Unfortunately, Hightower once again couldn't do much with his carries, gaining only 15 yards on eight attempts. Chris Wells made his NFL debut with seven carries and 29 yards, giving him a 4.14 yards per carry and potentially demonstrating why he could represent a more effective rushing option over Hightower.

Steve Smith/Mario Manningham, WR

Eli Manning has to be the most unexciting multi-millionaire quarterback in the league, but he still knows how to find his open receivers, and Plaxico Burress, as we know, won't be one of them this year.

Steve Smith should emerge as Manning's favorite possession receiver and was targeted eight times this week, while Manningham offers more upside by virtue of his speed and elusiveness. Super Mario was on the receiving end of the Giant's longest pass play, a 30-yarder, and also caught Manning's lone TD toss.

Willis McGahee, RB

Going into week one, McGahee had been relegated to an underappreciated afterthought given that Ray Rice had overtaken him on the depth chart. Rice did fine with 19 carries for 108 yards against the Chiefs, but McGahee turned out to be the better fantasy option, with 87 total yards, five red-zone carries, and two touchdowns.

Devery Henderson/Robert Meachem, WR

They probably should have stopped the New Orleans/Detroit game after the second quarter, as Drew Brees was putting on a precision passing clinic and clearly was not going to be stopped.

Brees ended up throwing only 34 times, but typically averaged about 40 attempts last year. With all the balls that will probably be flying around this season for the Saints, it's not inconceivable that Henderson and Meachem turn out to be worth using every week.

Earl Bennett, WR

Maybe it was because Greg Olsen was being smothered, or maybe it's some form of nepotism, but Jay Cutler's former college teammate Earl Bennett was targeted a surprising 16 times this week. He ended up with only seven catches for 66 yards.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers for Aug. 15

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:58:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers

Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Aug. 15, 2009

JunkyardJake.Com

Julius Jones, RB

Right before the Seattle’s bye week last year, Julius Jones had put together two consecutive solid games, rushing for 127 yards and one TD vs. SF, and then 140 yards and a TD vs. the Rams.

Unfortunately, if you didn’t spend the next two weeks frantically attempting to sell high on the enigmatic Mr. Jones, you absorbed a crash and burn situation that rivaled the relentless downward spiral of Citibank’s common stock.

Jones closed out the year with 698 yards and 2 TDs, accumulating only 386 yards from October thru December, but he was especially useless in December, recording just six carries for 24 yards as Maurice Morris assumed the starting job.

So why bother with this hapless Seattle slacker? Well, for one thing, pesky Maurice Morris is now in Detroit, and the No. 2 Seattle RB is the plodding and generally unimpressive TJ Duckett. Secondly, the new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has a flair for generating an effective rushing attack, as demonstrated by his work with the Falcons, 49ers and Raiders in previous years. Jones is currently being selected in the eighth to ninth rounds of fantasy drafts, but could be a pleasant surprise this year.

Nate Washington, WR

It seems like forever since the Titans have actually had a wide receiver who represented any kind of legitimate deep threat. In fact, you may need to go all the way back to 1998, when they signed Yancey Thigpen and then derailed his career by attempting to integrate him into their tediously boring offense.

In 2009, the Titans passing offense will most likely remain monotonously unexciting, but at least they will have Nate Washington to stretch the field when they are feeling slightly froggy. Washington can be found as late as the 15th round in fantasy drafts this year, and should be a good bet to surpass the dawdling Justin Gage as the Titans leading wideout.

Willis McGahee, RB

If you selected McGahee in a 2008 fantasy draft, it was clearly a wasted 1st-2nd round pick that may have helped sabotage your season. As a consequence, it’s perfectly okay to harbor ill-feelings toward the veteran RB. In fact, if you find it therapeutic, feel free to make up you own disdainful nicknames for McGahee.

However, after you run around referring to McGahee as Willis McWashout and Fritter McLollygagger, or even SillyPutty McSuckinstein, and the resentment is cathartically removed from your system, it could be time to give the Ravens RB a second look.

Currently, Ray Rice is the popular choice to assume the primary ballcarrier duties in Baltimore, but this notion could have some flaws. For one thing, Rice is a fine RB, but lacks the size to be a workhorse, and despite his smaller frame, he is not especially fast or elusive. Meanwhile, McGahee has looked solid in camp so far and is comparatively better-suited for frequent carries, when healthy.

While Ray Rice is going in the 7th round, McGahee can be acquired at a more reasonable 10th round spot, and could turn out to be a great value.

Robert Meachem, WR

Robert Meachem is a gifted young receiver who enters his 3rd season, and is now officially running out of excuses. After his selection in the 1st round of the 2007 draft, his rookie season was marred by injury. In his second year, he was relatively healthy, but the Saints were somehow unimpressed with how he used his athleticism to gracefully run to the wrong places on the field.

Entering his 3rd year, the Saints are encouraged by his progress so far, and it appears that Meachem could be on the verge of grasping the concept of proper route running. The former 1st round selection is arguably the Saints receiver with the biggest upside from a talent perspective, and could be a steal in the 15th round of your fantasy draft.

Laurence Maroney, RB

Bill Belichick takes great pride in making the Patriots backfield one of the most ambiguous situations in professional sports, and his RB rotation is truly one of the great achievements in 20th century bureaucracy, because it somehow works.

While it’s probably best to steer clear of the entire mess, it’s just difficult to dismiss the notion that Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor and/or Kevin Faulk appear to be significantly inferior options to a healthy and motivated Laurence Maroney.

That said, some of you would rather chaperone an unruly group of elementary school children at the premiere of "Lawrence of Arabia—The Musical" than draft Laurence Maroney this year. This is perfectly understandable, but it really seems that Maroney is worth a speculative pick in his current 12th round draft position.

Bryant Johnson, WR

The fantasy football world has seemingly been waiting forever for Bryant Johnson to accomplish something notable, but it could be time to just resign ourselves to the fact that it’s not going to happen.

On the bright side, as opposed to last year when he was an alleged starter in the erratic 49er offense, he does look a little better this season as the likely No. 2 receiver playing opposite Calvin Johnson.

Even so, his upside is probably capped at around 50 catches for 600-700 yards and maybe five TDs, and that’s if the potentially more talented rookie Derrick Williams doesn’t decide to start assimilating to his new pro career to usurp the underwhelming Johnson.

Cedric Benson, RB

Despite his modest resurgence last season, it may be best to temper expectations for Cedric Benson. He did finish the year strong with 282 yards against the Browns and the Chiefs, but those run defenses probably should have been classified as charitable organizations under US tax code in 2008.

On the upside, the Bengals seem to have enough confidence in Benson, that they felt they had the luxury of cutting Kenny Watson, but Benson could very well lose time to rookie project Bernard Scott and/or free agent signee Brian Leonard. Scott is a smallish, but instinctive, quick and elusive option for the Bengals who is showing promise so far, and despite Leonard’s fullback job description, he offers the same speed and power as Cedric Benson.

Lastly, and this may amount to nothing significant, but it’s hard to ignore Benson’s offseason rationale for possibly signing with the Texans. To paraphrase, Benson essentially said "I have no problem with signing with a club as a backup runningback in the right situation."

Really, Cedric? That’s the way to articulate your competitive disposition and vocational commitment. Isn’t this kind of like hearing your postman say "It’s my professional pledge to you, that more often than not, I’ll be able to deliver most of your mail," or hearing your building contractor say "Yeah, we are not too bad with foundation, framing and plumbing stuff, but you might get an electrical fire when you turn on the lights."

Joe Flacco/Derrick Mason/Mark Clayton, QB/WR

It’s really tempting to draft Joe Flacco this year. However, while the Ravens second-year quarterback is clearly one of the most talented young passers in the league, it’s getting more difficult to identify who exactly he will be throwing to this year.

Derrick Mason returning is a plus, but we have probably seen the best out of this particular 35 year-old receiver, and waffling around on his retirement decision does not inspire a great deal of confidence.

At the No. 2 receiver spot, the only thing consistent about Mark Clayton is that 1) he will probably be injured the week you need him, and/or 2) the week he fools you into putting him into your lineup, he’ll get you two catches for 19 yards.

To round out the Ravens motley brigade of questionable receivers, there is Demetrius Williams, whose hype always seems to exceed his relevance, followed by Kelley Washington, Justin Harper and then some guy named "Ernie Wheelwright." Ernie Wheelwright is likely on the roster only because the M&T Bank Stadium announcer gets a chuckle when he gets to say his name twice a season.

L.J. Smith/Todd Heap, TE

While we are picking on the Ravens, what better way to ensure the continued irrelevance of a couple aging tight-ends, then by putting them on the same team together? Now, whatever limited productivity we may have expected from Todd Heap and/or LJ Smith this year, divide by two. A perfect scenario of subtraction by addition, it’s almost too awesome!

Over the past two years, LJ Smith and Todd Heap have exhibited roughly the same career trajectory, a 45-degree downslope. Smith seemed to peak in 2005 at 61 catches and 682 yards. Heap also had his best season three years ago, with 75 catches, 855 yards and seven TDs. Over the past two years, both these guys have settled into the vapid 35 catch, 300 range associated with backup fantasy tightends.

Another potential reason to steer clear of these guys is that given their recent injury histories, they could possibly account for more collective downtime than the pork rind vending machine at the Baghdad International Airport.

Reggie Bush, RB

A once-heralded first-round draft pick, whose speed and agility was supposed to leave defenders helplessly grasping at a trail of rocket fumes, Reggie Bush enters his fourth season as just an above-average runningback option in PPR leagues with an injury risk cloud still hovering over him.

Assuming that he is actually recovered from the microfracture surgery on his left knee performed this past December, Bush should remain a useful No. 3 or No. 4 RB option, but there have been some minor setbacks this preseason, where he has been held out for "precautionary" reasons.

Reggie Bush is currently being selected in the fourth round, but Pierre Thomas, the 2007 undrafted free agent who outplayed him last season, figures to assume a larger role in 2009. As such, Bush seems like a risky proposition to spend a fourth-round pick on, especially if his name increasingly becomes synonymous with "soreness and swelling."

NFL 2009 -Top 20 Offensive Free Agents

Junkyard Jake — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:51:00 -0400

NFL 2009—Top 20 Offensive Free Agents
Ranking the 2009 free agent signings in terms of expected fantasy football significance...

July 28, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

2008 Team 2009 Team

No. 1: Jay Cutler, QB

Frail-armed Kyle Orton wasn’t bad last year, but Cutler gives the Bears a legitimate passing offense to go along with their emerging running game. The players that stand to benefit most from the Cutler addition are probably Devin Hester and TE Greg Olsen.

Also keep an eye on Cutler’s former Vanderbilt teammate Earl Bennett, who could surface from obscurity to play an important possession receiver role.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 2: Derrick Ward, RB

Derrick Ward gives the Buccaneers a versatile RB option whose speed and receiving ability should complement the power running of Earnest Graham very effectively.

Graham will likely remain the first-choice at the goal line, but to the extent that Tampa throws to their running backs as often as they did last season, Ward is clearly the more dynamic receiver of the two.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 3: Kellen Winslow, TE

On talent alone, Winslow ranks among the top tight ends in the league. On the downside though, he joins a Buccaneers team with an unsettled QB situation, and a new coaching regime.

Nonetheless, he should emerge from the clutter to at least become the teams second most relevant receiver behind Antonio Bryant.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 4: Tony Gonzalez, TE

Now at 33 years of age, you have to imagine that Tony Gonzalez will be slowing down at some point, but it certainly didn’t happen last season. The 12-year veteran and 10-time Pro Bowler had a very productive season with 96 catches, 1,058 yards and 10 TDs, his highest TD total since 2003.

Matt Ryan is Dan Fouts compared to the QB mess that Gonzalez had to deal with in KC, and defenses should now have a tougher time accounting for Roddy White with Gonzalez on board.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 5: TJ Houshmandzadeh, WR

With all the misfortune that the Seahawks have had with their wide receivers the past few years, it’s not surprising that the team ended up paying a premium for TJ Houshmandzadeh, a receiver known for his ability to stay on the field for more than 4 games in a row.

The offense figures to be a little more conservative under Jim Mora, and that should suit a relatively slow and methodical possession receiver like Houshmandzadeh just fine.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 6: Terrell Owens, WR

The T.O. show opens shop in Buffalo this season, where the veteran receiver will surely add a much needed new dimension to the Bills offense. However, while Owens did manage over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs in 2008, note that he turns 36 this season, and there is no guarantee he will command the same attention in the Buffalo system.

A safe estimation calls for a drop-off this year to maybe 800 yards and seven TDs, with Lee Evans getting a boost by the presence of a genuinely capable receiver playing on the opposite side.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 7: Laveranues Coles, WR

The Bengals welcome Carson Palmer back from his abbreviated 2008 season with what should be an improved receiving corps. Assuming that Chad Ochocinco (53 catches in 2008) can return to catching at least as many passes as his ostentatious moniker, he joins forces with newly signed Laveranues Coles,Chris Henry, and second year Andre Caldwell to give Palmer more than enough potential weapons at his disposal.

What could make the addition of Coles especially intriguing is that, unlike his predecessor TJ Houshmandzadeh, Coles offers the ability to stretch the field.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 8: Kyle Orton, QB

Kyle Orton was a somewhat unlikely success story in 2008 with the Bears, but if nothing else has proven himself to be a smart and capable, albeit weak-armed signal caller. Of course, if he shows signs of faltering, he may need to fend off Chris Simms, so he should not be considered a sure thing.

However, under the assumption that he adapts quickly to Josh McDaniels' system, Orton should remain a serviceable low-end fantasy starter. Recall that that new coach McDaniels was the offensive coordinator for the 2007 Patriots when New England scored an NFL record 75 TDs.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 9: Matt Cassel, QB

It’s doubtful that Cassel will achieve anywhere near the same success as experienced with the Patriots last season, Dwayne Bowe is quite good, but he is no Randy Moss, and much of Cassel’s success last year was likely a function of New England’s offensive system.

Nonetheless, Cassel has an above-average arm, exhibits a good grasp of game management, and should represent some much-needed stability at the QB position for the Chiefs.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 10: Torry Holt, WR

The Jaguars have completely revamped their receiving group heading into 2009, and by default, 35 year old Torry Holt may be the highest potential prospect of the bunch. Not to say that Mike Walker, and rookies Jarett Dillard and Mike Thomas do not merit fantasy consideration, but none of these guys are elite prospects, and they combine for less than about 15% of the experience that Holt brings to the team this year.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 11: Fred Taylor, RB

While Fred Taylor should be wrapping up his illustrious career at 33 years of age, the Patriots would have none of that, signing him to a $5 million two-year deal to further complicate their already muddled RB rotation.

Taylor is not especially effective at the goal line, and the Patriots will probably still use Kevin Faulk in third down situations, so he was probably signed as contingency plan for the enigmatic Laurence Maroney. As such, it seems that Taylor's value this year might be considered inversely proportional to Maroney’s motivation and effectiveness.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 12: Nate Washington, WR

While he is probably not suited for a No. 1 receiver role because of his smallish build, Washington is an interesting addition for the receiver-barren Titans, and arguably becomes the best deep threat they have had for a number of years.

Rookie Kenny Britt could very well factor into the receiver equation as early as this season, but he seems to be only a slightly faster version of Justin Gage. Washington will likely add a new speed dimension to the Titans passing game, and could very well exceed his average numbers as the No. 3 WR with the Steelers over the past few seasons.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 13: Joey Galloway, WR

Had 38-year-old Galloway signed with any other team besides the Patriots, he probably would not even be worth mentioning. However, even the geriatric Galloway might be able to carve out a niche role in the potent New England offense, especially since defenses are so typically distracted with Randy Moss and Wes Welker.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 14: Bryant Johnson, WR

Bryant Johnson has been pretty much been a perennial disappointment, but gets another shot in a situation that should represent an improvement over his brief San Francisco sojourn.

Providing that he holds onto the No. 2 job, the opportunity of playing opposite Calvin Johnson gives Detriot’s new $9 million free agent receiver at least a chance to challenge his modest career highs of 700 yards and four TDs.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 15: Brian Leonard, RB

Cedric Benson just seems like the leagues most tenuous RB starter this season. He looked pretty good in spurts last year, but ultimately ended with an uninspiring 3.5 yards per carry, and just two TDs in 12 weeks of action.

Brian Leonard is an interesting acquisition for the Bengals, because he is approximately as fast as Benson, is a much more adept receiver, and is likely a better goalline back.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 16: Correll Buckhalter, RB

You have to believe that first-round pick Knowshon Moreno will wind up being the most significant fantasy RB in Denver, but as of now, it’s anyone's guess how the possible rotation between Moreno, Peyton Hillis, Buckhalter, and fellow free agent signee LaMont Jordan will materialize.

Buckhalter has had his share of injury problems, but has always played well when called upon over his five-year tenure with the Eagles. He actually could end up sharing time with Moreno this year, so Buckhalter and his career 4.5 YPC should not be immediately dismissed.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 17: Bobby Engram, WR

There has never been anything exciting about Bobby Engram’s game, he’s small and not particularly fast, and he’s averaged only 2.5 TDs per season over his 14-year career. What Engram does do well is consistently catch 10 yard passes, so even at 36-years-old, he should manage to help a very shallow Kansas City receiver group playing from the slot this year.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 18: Sage Rosenfels, QB

If Brett Farve ends up jilting the Vikings and pursuing his long-overdue retirement once again, at least Minnesota will have another mercurial gunslinger in Sage Rosenfels to fall back on. Of course, Rosenfels does not have the arm strength or general talent of Farve, but he can fling the ball around, albeit sometimes recklessly and with unfortunate results.

Even so, despite his career 30 TD to 29 INT ratio, Rosenfels also has a 62 percent career completion percentage, and looks like a comparatively better option over Tarvaris Jackson.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 19: Ronald Curry, WR

The Rams would prefer that Keenan Burton seize the No. 2 receiver spot, but his progress was held back by persistent knee problems last year. So far in the preseason his luck hasn’t been much better, as Burton has been slowed by a minor hamstring problem.

Former Falcon Laurent Robinson could also become a factor, but he’s also had his share of injuries and inconsistency. The unreliability of these guys could create an opportunity for Ronald Curry, who has also been an adequate complementary receiver when healthy.

Fantasy Significance=

No. 20: Jeff Garcia, QB

The Raiders are desperately hoping that they signed Jeff Garcia to patrol the sidelines with his clipboard and cheer JaMarcus Russell on to at least six or seven wins this year.

However, in the event that Russell’s late season improvement in 2008 was just another mirage, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see Jeff Garcia start a few games for his 6th different team in the past seven years. Moreover, he would probably do a fairly adequate job of it, as suggested by his 93 QB rating over the past three seasons.

Fantasy Significance=

Other Significant Free Agent Signings:

No. 21: LaMont Jordan ,RB
No. 22: Byron Leftwich ,QB
No. 23: Laurent Robinson ,WR
No. 24: Dominic Rhodes ,RB
No. 25: Maurice Morris ,RB
No. 26: Alex Smith ,TE
No. 27: Jabar Gaffney ,WR
No. 28: L.J. Smith ,TE
No. 29: Shaun McDonald ,WR
No. 30: Robert Royal ,TE

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Candy: June 14

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:39:00 -0400

June 14th, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Sean Rodriguez, LA Angels, 2B
- Oh my, well it's now clear that Angels manager Mike Scioscia was hardly bluffing when he threatened to 'shake things up' after Thursday's 11-1 thumping by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The complete details of Scioscia's shake-up plan have not been disclosed as of yet, but John Lackey's post-game ritual of kicking it 'Old School' with his turntable and DJ Scratch Mixer is probably out, as are the dugout drinking games, one would imagine.

Assuming the role of most immediate scapegoat in the shakeup plan was second baseman Howie Kendrick, who was summarily demoted to AAA. The good news is that while Kendrick is attempting to expel his .231 batting average demons down in the junior circuit, we should get a look at prospect Sean Rodriquez.

Rodriguez, who was called up to replace Kendrick this weekend, was tearing up the Pacific Coast League with 21 HRs in 57 games in 2009. In fact, he has shown very consistent power at the AAA level the past two seasons, as he finished his 2008 campaign with 21 HRs in 66 games.

Available in 87 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Mike MacDougal, Washington Nationals, RP
- Given the debacle known as the Washington Nationals bullpen, Mike MacDougal almost can't help to represent an improvement as the newest closer of last resort.

In fact, after enduring two stints of Joel Hanrahan late inning shenanigans, mixed in with a couple games of Joe Abysmal, the Nationals will probably grant MacDougal a fair margin of error, maybe even a couple misdemeanors, before considering another change.

It certainly doesn't hurt that MacDougal throws some pretty nasty stuff, featuring a fastball that can reach 95-97 MPH. He also offers a good amount of closer experience, with a total 48 saves on his resume serving as the Kansas City Royals closer during the 2003 and 2005 seasons.

Available in 83 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Scott Podsednik, Chicago White Sox, OF

- Wow, this guy hasn't been fantasy-relevant since back when tribal tattoos were moderately fashionable and Don Imus had a broadcasting career. After an inconspicuous past two years of playing sporadically and batting around .250, Podsednik resigned with the White Sox in April this year, right after they had just released him.

His subsequent revival has been fairly impressive—after a solid May where he hit .307 with three stolen bases, Podsednik has regularly been batting leadoff in June, and hitting .310 with five stolen bases for the month so far.

Available in 82 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Sean West, Florida Marlins, SP

- A first round pick in 2005, 6'8" lefty Sean West has been occasionally compared to pitching legend Randy Johnson. Of course West has a really long way to go before he will be even considered worthy to clean the gutters on Johnson's 300 Win Commemorative Museum.

However, like Johnson, Sean West can consistently deliver a mid-90s power fastball, and also throws some nasty breaking stuff.

Unfortunately, also like Randy Johnson, who struggled with mechanics early in his career, West has been susceptible to his share of erratic outings and control lapses. Nonetheless, the Marlins rookie is someone to watch, and may have offered a glimpse of his fantasy potential when he beat Johnson and Giants with an eight-inning, two-hit effort last week.

Available in 77 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Vin Mazzaro, Oakland A's, SP

- With Vin Mazzaro recently joining an Oakland rotation that currently includes Dallas Braden, Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, and Josh Outman, the average age of the A's starting pitcher staff is now just slightly higher than that of the Milwaukee chapter of the Jonas Brothers unofficial fan club.

While Mazzaro probably does not have the upside of higher potential prospects Cahill and Outman, he has improved his command over the past year or so, getting his walks per nine innings down to around 2.5 from over four in 2007.

He mostly relies on a sinking fastball typically in the 90-93 MPH range, and complements this pitch with a decent changeup, and a developing slider. Mazzaro almost certainly will not maintain his current 1.37 ERA and 0.97 Whip, but could turn out to be another pleasant surprise from the Oakland pitcher farm.

Available in 65 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Other Players To Consider

Chris Coghlan, Florida Marlins,3B,OF
Available in 89 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies,SP
Available in 62 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Juan Rivera, LA Angels,OF
Available in 78 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Colby Rasmus, St. Louis Cardinals,OF
Available in 64 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Antonio Bastardo, Philadelphia Phillies,SP
Available in 62 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Candy—June 1st

Junkyard Jake — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:32:00 -0400

June 1st, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves, SP
Well, just because there hasn't been nearly enough speculation concerning Tommy Hanson over the first two months of the season, why not add some more. Remember, Hanson is that guy who already throws a major-league curveball, a mid-90s fastball, a change-up and slider.

The other cool thing about Hanson is that, in contrast to, for example, current No. 4 Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami, he throws all his pitches for strikes most of the time. At last count, Hanson was still dominating down at Triple AAA Gwinnett, with a 1.49 ERA, 0.862 Whip and averaging 12.2 K's per 9 innings. So what in the world are the Braves waiting for?

'After jumping into the cockpit to make an emergency landing of a domestic airliner and then volunteering 2 hours at the childrens hospital, Tommy Hanson went on to pitch a 2 hit shutout with 12 strikeouts this afternoon for the Gwinnett Braves. In related news, the Atlanta brass are still not impressed, and called-up Jo-Jo Reyes to get pounded again by the Phillies this weekend.'

One theory that could help explain the reluctance to bring up Hanson, is that the Braves are trying to prevent the young pitcher from achieving "Super 2" status. Besides being a four-letter word to major league front offices everywhere, "Super 2" is shorthand meaning that a player is awarded the right to take their club to arbitration four times instead of three.

Going by the strange and fairly inexplicable MLB arbitration rules, the bottom line on
"Super 2" status, is that the magic cutoff seems to be two years plus 130 days service time to qualify. As applied to Hanson, this means that the longer the Braves can keep the training wheels on past June 1st, the better, because it could save them a truckload of money in a future arbitration case. For example, Ryan Howard was awarded $10 million in arbitration as a "Super 2" after the 2007 season.

Of course, the other obstacle for the possible future ace of the Atlanta staff is the fact that the Braves rotation is still about as crowded as Atlanta Motor Speedway on free raccoon trap/truck antler fan appreciation night. The current rotation is occupied by Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, Kawakami, and recent call-up Medlan. Moreover, they might have the spry Tom Glavine, who has been mixing it up down in the minors for the first time since 1987, waiting in the wings.

In any event, if you are still holding Tommy Hanson on your fantasy squad, at this point it makes no sense doing something hasty, like dropping him for Vicente Padilla or Barry Zito. Maybe the Braves will come to their senses sometime this month.
Available in 25% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Nolan Reimold, Baltimore Orioles, OF
It looks like the Orioles farm system has been on a real roll lately. There is of course that Matt Wieters guy, who can evidently hit a billiard ball 475 ft with a foam bat and defeat dragons with the power of his plate discipline, but Reimold is another talented rookie who has been relatively overlooked.

A 2005 second-round draft pick, Nolan Reimold's development was delayed a bit with some injury obstacles in 2006, and especially 2007, when he only managed to play 59 games. In the following 2008 season at double-A, a relatively healthy Reimold went on to hit .284 with 25 HRs. Before he was summoned this season Reimold was terrorizing AAA with a .394 average and 9 HRs over 31 games.

Needless to say, most International League pitchers hope things work out for Nolan Reimold at the big league level, and so far they have, as he has contributed 5 HRs over his first 16 games with the Orioles.
Available in 62% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Joe Blanton, Philadelphia Philles, SP
Although he is slightly more attractive than Susan Boyle, Joe Blanton does have that menacing "Renegade State Trooper/Crazy Pit-Boss" look that you absolutely want in a potentially intimidating starting pitcher. Unfortunately, with a 7.11 ERA through May 21st, the only intimidation that Blanton was able to accomplish was scaring fantasy owners out of putting him in their lineups.

Well, the possible good news is that Blanton claims that he and pitching coach Rich Dubee discovered a mechanical flaw that had been plaguing him when he was pitching from the stretch. OK, sounds good, because whatever adjustment he made in his last start seemed to work just fine, as Blanton rediscovered his intimidating presence with a 7 inning, 11 strikeout blanking of the Marlins.

It would be nice to get K's like that more often out of Blanton, but that most likely will not happen. Nonetheless, he has the ability to be a solid No. 3 or No. 4 fantasy starter if you are looking to pick up a pitcher.
Available in 46% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Fernando Martinez, NY Mets, OF
Fernando Martinez got the call to the grown-ups' league this week as Ryan Church makes another trip to the DL. Martinez is arguably the best prospect in the Mets system, but it should be mentioned that it became much easier to achieve the 'best Mets prospect' label after all the other noteworthy prospects were traded away for Johan Santana.

That said, Martinez is clearly a high-potential young outfielder who would likely rank high in any organization. To support this contention, one only needs to observe the terms that many scouts use to describe Martinez in their surreptitious scout-babble vernacular—terms like "tools," "good pitch recognition," "great bat speed," and "untapped raw power." While Martinez's accumulated professional stats are not yet consistent with his general scouting report accolades, he is still only 20 years old, and was showing good power at triple-A Buffalo before his call-up, with 8 HRs in only 42 games.
Available in 79% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Other Players To Consider:

J.A. Happ,Philadelphia Philles,SP
Available in 46% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Clint Barmes,Colorado Rockies,2B
Available in 61% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Phil Hughes,NY Yankees,SP
Available in 43% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Andy LaRoche,Pittsburgh Pirates,3B
Available in 64% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Jerry Hairston,Cincinnati Reds,OF
Available in 46% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Candy - May 17th

Junkyard Jake — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:02:00 -0400

May 17, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Juan Pierre, LA Dodgers, OF

Since Manny Ramirez was awarded a 50 game sabbatical, and relocated to the 'Banned Substances Suspension Fun Camp' late last week, Juan Pierre has once again asserted himself as a very relevant fantasy factor. Going back to his start on May 7th, Pierre has batted .447, with 6 extra base hits and 6 stolen bases. Fantasy managers have certainly been taking notice over the past week or so, but chances are still about 50-50 that the consummate base-swiper is still available in your league. Remember, even as a 119 game part-timer last season, Pierre still managed to steal 40 bases.

Speaking of Manny Ramirez and the 'Banned Substances Suspension Fun Camp', Manny has sent his best regards and says the camp has been a great opportunity to reunite with Canseco, Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro and the whole HGH gang. Word is, everyone is staying out of trouble, having a fabulous time, and engaging in constructive activities like playing catch with small appliances, and reenacting scenes from the 'Scorpion King' movies. See you some time in July Manny !
Available in 44% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays, SP
Mostly out of necessity, and partly because they are silly Canadians, the Toronto Blue Jays have been shuffling their starting rotation around pretty often through the first six weeks of the season. At this point, unless he gets caught in a pitbull fighting scandal, we know Roy Halladay is going to be pitching every five days or so, and after that it's most recently been hit or miss with Scott Richmond, Robert Ray and Brian Tallet. Standing out in the midst of Blue Jays rotation ambiguity has been Brett Cecil over his first three 2009 starts, compiling 2 wins, a 1.80 ERA, a WHIP of 1.05, while notching 15 K's over 20 innings. The young lefty already has a major-league slider, which is especially rough on left-handed hitters, and he throws a decent fastball that reaches 92 MPH. If Cecil could develop a serviceable change-up to consistently keep right-handers off balance he would register especially high on the awesometer. For now, he has obviously been quite competent, and with a currently secure spot in the Jays rotation, should be a pretty good waiver addition.
Available in 68% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Nick Johnson, Washington Nationals, 1B
Over his ten year career, when Nick Johnson hasn't been busy being fat and/or injured, he's been a fairly productive player. He always has shown decent power during his abbreviated seasons, with his best output coming in his relatively injury-free campaign of 2006 when he hit 23 homeruns in 500 ABs. Probably the most impressive aspect of Johnson's game is his patience at the plate - he actually walked 110 times in 2006, and his career OBP is .397. Besides his decent power, and terrific OBP, Nick Johnson is also known to steal a few bases. Johnson actually has 25 career steals, with a season high of 10. At his current weight of 245 pounds Johnson might be able to snag a few more for you this season, because he can only be stopped with a tranquilizer dart.
Available in 55% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Trevor Cahill, Oakland A's, SP
Trevor Cahill is a talented young pitcher who primarily throws an effective assortment of 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs. He does not exactly light up the radar gun, topping out at around 92-93 MPH, but he skillfully changes speeds, locates his pitches well, and has terrific sinking action on his 2-seamer. When things are going right for Cahill, he is hoaxing batters into futile swings at balls in the dirt, or inducing them into harmless groundouts. Although sinker ballers are not usually known for their strikeout ability, Cahill was actually striking out 10 batters per 9 innings during his short minor league career. His other numbers down on the farm were not too shabby either, with 22 wins in 42 starts, a 2.68 ERA, and an impressively trifling WHIP of 1.089. The former 2nd round pick has had only two bad outings in the majors so far (4/24 and 5/17) , but he has been otherwise exceptional, going at least 5 innings and yielding 2 earned runs or less in his six other 2009 starts.
Available in 61% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Other Players To Consider:

Michael Cuddyer,Minnesota Twins,OF
Available in 66% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Koji Uehara,Baltimore Orioles,SP
Available in 45% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Ben Zobrist,Tampa Bay Rays,SS
Available in 75% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Emmanuel Burriss,San Francisco Giants,SS
Available in 77% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Joel Hanrahan,Washington Nationals,RP
Available in 75% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

NFL Rookie Report

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:34:00 -0400

Ranking the 2009 NFL Rookie Class
Ranking the 2009 rookie class in terms of expected fantasy football significance...

May 9, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

1) Chris Wells,RB
1st Round (#31) (6'1" ,235) 40 Time=4.48

The ideal prototype in terms of size and speed for an NFL running back. Powerful inside runner with good vision who can burst to the second level, or bully his way there by attacking defenders. Impressive lateral quickness and acceleration, and runs with determination and decent elusiveness.

Shows the ability to bounce outside for big gains and yields a nasty stiff-arm. Clearly becomes the best RB option for the Cardinals, but will need to assuage concerns about his maturity and durability.

Fantasy Significance=

2) Knowshon Moreno,RB
1st Round (#12) (5'11" ,220) 40 Time=4.5

The knock on Moreno is his lack of blazing speed, but he more than makes up for this with his natural ability to quickly exploit openings, his elusiveness and lateral quickness. As a bonus, he is known as a tireless worker with exceptional character.

The Broncos have assembled an interesting cast of characters at RB, with free-agent acquisitions Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan and last year's potential starter Ryan Torain, but Moreno instantly becomes their best option.

He is expected to share carries with Buckhalter initially.

Fantasy Significance=

3) Mark Sanchez,QB
1st Round (#5) (6'2" ,228) 40 Time=4.9

What Sanchez lacks in experience, he compensates for with intelligence, swagger and confidence. Shows great ability to read defenses, anticipates receiver routes, throws with good zip and accuracy.

Will compete in an obligatory fashion with Kellen Clemens, but it’s difficult to see how the Jets will waste much more time with Clemens in 2009, since he has yet to show that he can be much more than a career backup.

Fantasy Significance=

4) Michael Crabtree,WR
1st Round (#10) (6'2" ,215) 40 Time=4.52

Crabtree was considered the best receiver prospect in the 2009 draft until he revealed a left foot stress fracture that required surgery in March.

Shows good cutting ability, great hands and deceptive speed, but is not considered an elite downfield threat. Great size, but it's doubtful he will be able to push around NFL CBs like he did in college.

Still, there is a lot to like about Crabtree, he's known as a tough competitor, dedicated worker and was drafted into a great situation in San Francisco, where he could immediately represent the teams’ best receiving option.

Fantasy Significance=

5) Jeremy Maclin,WR
1st Round (#19) (6'0" ,200) 40 Time=4.42

Some receivers have a 2nd gear, but Maclin appears to a 4th gear once he breaks into the open field. Moreover, he's not just a straight-line track star, showing good change of direction, cutting ability and great hands.

Demonstrates good awareness when plays break down, but could stand to improve his route running. Represents a challenge to injury-prone Kevin Curtis for playing time at split-end this year if he proves to be a fast learner.

Fantasy Significance=

6) LeSean McCoy, RB
2nd Round (#53) (5'10" ,202) 40 Time=4.49

He is not as bulked up as you'd like to see in an everydown back, but then again the Eagles have had no problem making 5'9" Brian Westbrook into a star by getting him the ball in everyway possible.

LeSean McCoy sure is fun to watch, he has absurd burst, he is equally effective inside and outside, is a dependable pass target, and has the type of agility that allows him to torment defenders if he gets to the open field.

Westbrook turns 30 early in the 2009 season, and last season was his worst since 2005, so LeSean McCoy should see significant action, even if only as Westbrook's stunt double to help him make it through the season.
Fantasy Significance=

7) Percy Harvin,WR
1st Round (#22) (5'11" ,192) 40 Time=4.39

Relatively small, but highly explosive receiver with the acceleration and speed to get deep in a hurry, and the cutting ability and field vision to be a menace on short routes.

Harvin was used as a hybrid RB/WR in college scoring in 32 of the 36 games he played while accumulating 1,929 yards receiving, and 1,852 yards rushing.

A minor history of questionable conduct, most recently testing positive for marijuana in February, but otherwise known as a tough, committed and focused player.

Fantasy Significance=

8) Donald Brown,RB
1st Round (#27) (5'10" ,209) 40 Time=4.46

Shifty RB with great instincts who explodes through creases, and very dangerous when he bounces outside. Terrific at changing gears, using his agility to avert defenders, and has the speed to break long runs.

On the assumption that Addai can rematerialize from whatever black hole he was sucked into last year, he should retain his position as primary ball-carrier, but Donald Brown might be tough to keep off the field.

Fantasy Significance=

9) Matthew Stafford, QB
1st Round (#1) (6'2" ,225) 40 Time=4.85

Exceptional arm strength with good accuracy with experience in a pro-style offense. Stellar collegiate career, despite playing behind a mediocre offensive line.

Should feel at home behind the Lions mediocre offensive line, provided that the Lions turn him loose this season.

As of now, the plan is to let Daunte Culpepper play himself out of the starting job before making a transition to Stafford.

Fantasy Significance=

10) Shonn Greene,RB
3rd Round (#65) (5'11" ,228) 40 Time=4.62

Tough, determined runner with good balance and strength. Lacks the speed to consistently bounce outside for positive gains, but can be very effective as an inside runner, using his decent burst and good vision.

Will need to develop as a receiver and a blocker at the pro-level. Should see time as a power-running complement to Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.

Fantasy Significance=

11) Glen Coffee,RB
3rd Round (#74) (6'0" ,210) 40 Time=4.5

Glen Coffee has good power, decent quickness, and adequate speed, but someone might need to remind him that he is only 209 lbs, because it is doubtful that his college running style of trying to run everyone over is going to work very well in the NFL.

Nonetheless, Coffee has the potential to make an impression this year, mostly because the 49ers have at least stated an intention to give Frank more frequent rest time.

While he doesn't offer the physical skills of the top rookie RBs this year, you can't argue with his collegiate productivity, where he ended up the second most prolific back in Alabama history, just ahead of Shaun Alexander.

Fantasy Significance=

12) Brian Robiskie,WR
2nd Round (#36) (6'3" ,210) 40 Time=4.47

Brian Robiskie may not have commanded the attention of the several wide receivers drafted immediately before him, but it would not be a surprise if he outperforms all of them in his first year.

His measurables are strong, he has great size, good speed, and the requisite agility and quickness for the position, but his maturity, work ethic and football instincts might be the attributes that allow him to adapt quickly to the pro game.

Even if the Browns retain Braylon Edwards for the 2009 season, Robiskie has a great opportunity to assume a prominent role for Cleveland right away.

Fantasy Significance=

13) Darrius Heyward-Bey,WR
1st Round (#7) (6'2" ,210) 40 Time=4.28

Heyward-Bey represents a scary size/speed combination, but he will need to evolve into more than a one-dimensional deep threat.

The Raiders were roundly criticized when they selected Heyward-Bey at No. 7 seemingly on the basis of his blistering speed, and for fairly good reason.

While he has good hands, and is a dynamic burner whos runs well after the catch, he is not a physical receiver, and has been somewhat inconsistent on patterns that do not involve streaking down the field with little resistance.

Fantasy Significance=

14) Jared Cook,TE
3rd Round (#89) (6'5" ,246) 40 Time=4.49

With the speed and hands of a wide receiver and the acceleration of a sports utility vehicle, Jared Cook is not a typical tight end. In fact, the last young TE who offered the same unique qualities of Jared Cook was Vernon Davis.

Unfortunately, just like Davis, Jared Cook appears that he might be very much a work in progress. For example, despite his natural pass catching ability, he did drop a fair amount of passes in college due to mental lapses.

Cook's route-running skills will also need some enhancement, as he was not used as a traditional TE in college, and sometimes had a tendency to "customize" his routes.

Fantasy Significance=

#15) Juaquin Iglesias,WR
3rd Round (#99) (6'1" ,209) 40 Time=4.45

It's hard to see how Oklahoma's Sam Bradford could have won the Heisman Trophy in 2008 without the luxury of a wide receiver like Juaquin Iglesias.

The Bears third-round pick improved every year in college, capping off his career at Oklahoma with a 74 catch, 1,150 yard, 10 TD season.

He enters a great situation in Chicago, where Jay Cutler now makes the Bears passing game instantly viable, and it's easy to envision him beating out Rashied Davis and/or Earl Bennett for significant playing time early this season.

Fantasy Significance=

16) Kenny Britt,WR
1st Round (#30) (6'3" ,218) 40 Time=4.48

Huge target with good hands and adequate quickness and cutting ability. Doesn't have the speed to challenge the secondary deep on a consistent basis, but can be very effective on short and intermediate post and seam routes.

Uses his size and power to break tackles, and has shown good ability to gain positive yardage after the catch.

Given that Justin Gage, who probably would not be a starter for almost any other NFL team, was the Titans top wideout, it's about time the team addressed thier dire need at the position.

One cautionary note on Britt is his tendancy to brandish an unaccommodating attitude, and he's not exactly known as most mature consummate team-player.

Fantasy Significance=

17) Derrick Williams,WR
3rd Round (#82) (6'0" ,195) 40 Time=4.45

Ran a disappointing 4.65 at the combine, but redeemed himself with 4.37 at his Pro-Day. Good quickness, great hands and reaches top speed in a hurry.

Potential big-play receiver with good character and strong leadership qualities. Playing behind Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson, Williams has a chance to play the slot this year.

Fantasy Significance=

18) Brandon Pettigrew,TE
1st Round (#20) (6'6" ,263) 40 Time=4.79

For fantasy purposes, you probably won't be interested in hearing what a great run blocker Pettigrew is, but unfortunately that is his strong suit. To the extent that he starts immediately for the Lions, as expected, this is great news for Kevin Smith and the Detroit running game.

In the passing game, Pettigrew is a hard-worker, with great hands and the ability to maul defenders who attempt to hold him up at the line.

He could develop into an effective short-area and/or goalline pass catching threat, but he lacks the speed to get consistently downfield, and will need to improve his route-running.

Fantasy Significance=

19) Louis Murphy,WR
4th Round (#124) (6'3" ,202) 40 Time=4.35

While the Raiders arguably reached for Darrius Heyward-Bey a bit too early in the 1st round, they may have made amends by securing a great value in the fourth round with Louis Murphy.

Murphy played in the shadow of Percy Harvin at Florida and needs to refine his route-running, but he has the speed, quickness, acceleration and good hands to make an impression with the Raiders, especially if Javon Walker is released.

Fantasy Significance=

20) Josh Freeman,QB
1st Round (#17) (6'5" ,245) 40 Time=4.9

In terms of physical attributes and arm strength, Freeman probably has the edge on both the better regarded first-round QBs, Stafford and Sanchez.

However, aside from the ability to throw deep, Freeman does not appear nearly as ready to encounter NFL defenses in comparison to his more celebrated cohorts.

Seems to have a deliberate release that could be a problem at NFL speed, and must improve touch and accuracy on short/intermediate throws.

Fantasy Significance=

Other Rookies to Watch:

21) James Davis ,RB

22) Hakeem Nicks,WR

23) Shawn Nelson,TE

24) Chase Coffman,TE

25) Austin Collie,WR

26) Andre Brown,RB

27) Rashard Jennings,RB

28) Mike Wallace,WR

29) Cedric Peerman,RB

30) Bernard Scott,RB

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Candy - April 26th

Junkyard Jake — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:44:00 -0400

April 26th, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Chris Duncan, St. Louis Cardinals, OF,1B

While it's true that Tony LaRussa's somewhat capricious lineup strategy defies any reasonable explanation on most days, Chris Duncan has most frequently been penciled in as the left-fielder batting from the #4 spot, so it's surprising to see that he is available in a fair amount of leagues.

Granted, Duncan does have a history of fickle performance. Probably a good example of his unpredictable range of batting competence can be observed by comparing his August 2006 output, when he hit .361 with 9 HRs, with his calamitous month of August 2007, when he hit .191 with one HR.

However, until Duncan gets benched, goes into a slump, starts smoking hemp and hanging out with jazz musicians or you see a Tony LaRussa lineup that has Fred Bird in left field, and Adam Wainwright at 2nd base, he is certainly useful for fantasy purposes.

Available in 38% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Ross Ohlendorf, Pittsburgh Pirates, SP

Yes, you have been burned before by various members of the Pittsburgh Pirates suspect pitching staff in the recent past, in some cases (i.e. Zach Duke for the past three years), you've not only been proverbially burned, but scornfully mocked, ostracized and scoffed at by friends, strangers and town folk alike.

So why would you want to subject yourself to more abuse by considering Ross Ohlendorf for your fantasy roster? Well, good point, but there are some encouraging signs that new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan has helped to return the Pirates staff back to respectability. Believe it or not, after getting swatted around like a pinata last year (5.08 ERA, .286 BAA), Pirate pitchers actually boast the best ERA in the league (3.07 ERA, .242 BAA) over the first couple weeks of 2009.

Ohlendorf was considered a top prospect in the Yankees system, and seems to have responded well to Kerrigan's mentoring so far. As seen in his last 7 shutout innings outing versus Florida, when he can throw his sinking 90-92 fastball for strikes, he can be very effective.

Available in 83% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays, SS
Last October with America in the throes of a cataclysmic economic crisis, paralyzed with political uncertainty and struggling to endure the untimely release of yet another Queen Latifah movie, not to mention 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year', our nation sorely needed a hero, and Jason Bartlett stepped up to the challenge. That's right, Bartlett succeeded in stealing the first base of the 2008 World Series, and according to the terms of Taco Bell's most dim-witted promotion yet, 'Steal a Base, Steal a Taco', won a free taco for the entire country.

While this accomplishment alone should make you want to check your waiver wire for Bartlett, also note that he is off to a torrid start in the new 2009 season, with 5 SBs in 15 games a .352 BA, and even 2 uncharacteristic HRs. If we enter the realm of 'complete silliness with extrapolated numbers' for a second, assuming that Bartlett can make it through a 162 game season, he is on pace to steal about 40 bases and hit 21 HRs (his career high is 5 HRs, so that ain't going to happen, but fun to imagine anyway).

Available in 37% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins, SP
Pitching in front of the powder-puff Minnesota Twins offense, with a fastball that typically sits around 89 MPH, you could say that Glen Perkins is not the most exciting waiver wire alternative. In fact, you can almost picture the native Minnesotan riding around in a Toyota Prius, drinking a vitamin water and listening to the Dave Matthews Band. Nonetheless, sometimes bland is useful when it comes to fantasy pitchers, and if Perkins can keep on pitching exactly 8 innings a game, with an average 4 Ks, 1.50 ERA and 0.83 Whip like he has over his first three starts, who cares if his methodical fastball/slider/changeup repertoire causes drowsiness.

Speaking of Perkins pitch selection, it's interesting to note that he has almost completely abandoned his curveball, and now throws his slider about 3 times as often as he did last year. It seems like this adjustment has helped him entice hitters into a swinging at bad pitches more often in 2009. Compared to a 23% rate last year, hitters have been swinging at pitches outside the strikezone about 38% time for Perkins this year.

Available in 40% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Other Players To Consider:

Jason Kubel,Minnesota Twins,OF

Available in 37% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

John Baker,Florida Marlins,C

Available in 42% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Jordan Zimmermann,Washington Nationals,SP

Available in 36% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Ian Stewart,Colorado Rockies,3B,OF

Available in 39% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Phil Hughes,NY Yankees,SP

Available in 75% of all CBSSportsline leagues.

MLB: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Candy—April 11

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 14:55:00 -0400

April 11th, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Travis Snider, Toronto Blue Jays, OF

At 21 years old, Travis Snider probably still TIVOs his favorite Nickelodeon cartoons, but nonetheless, he has rocketed through Toronto's farm system with 50 HRs in 1,158 at-bats and now finds himself their newest left fielder.

While he certainly could have used a bit more seasoning in the minors, he didn't look out of place during his short audition with the Blue Jays late last season, hitting .301 with 2 HRs in 73 ABs.

If his early achievements can translate to the Major League level, Snider looks like a potential 25 HR player who can hit around .285.

On a scale of "Sniders," that would make Travis almost as cool as Dwayne Schneider, the superintendent from "One Day at A Time," and rated much higher than both Rob Schneider and Dee Snider, Twisted Sister's annoying front-man.

Available in 52 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Travis Ishikawa, San Francisco Giants, 1B

While we are on the subject of left-handed power prospects named Travis, another interesting fantasy waiver target is Travis Ishikawa of the San Francisco Giants.

Inapposite with his surname, Ishikawa is a purely domestic vehicle, so no need to worry about pesky tariffs or too much of an adjustment to some of the less polite American pitchers.

The 24 year old has been plugging away in the Giants' minor league system since 2002, accumulating 96 HRs and 410 RBI over 2,518 ABs. Ishikawa has even shown some speed for a first baseman, with 32 stolen bases.

If Ishikawa can maintain a starting assignment, his minor league performance suggests about 23 HRs, 100 RBI, and 8 SBs could be in store for 2009.

Available in 71 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers, SP

With a struggling auto industry, less tourism than Baghdad, and Jason Verlander still trying to figure out how to pitch again, Detroit has had little to cheer about over the past couple years.

For a city that desperately needs a morale boost, maybe rookie starting pitcher Rick Porcello can help.

He is only 20 years old, but Porcello already has an advanced arsenal for his age, with a mid-90s fastball, a two-seam fastball with good sinking action, a curveball, slider, and also a pretty good change-up.

He was knocked around a little in his first 2009 start, giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings, but still maintained his trademark command by issuing just one walk.

Last year in the minors, Porcello granted walks at a rate of just 2.37 per nine innings, and he was impressive this spring with a 2.30 ERA and 1.25 Whip in six Grapefruit League appearances.

Porcello is definitely more solvent than General Motors, a mandatory pick-up for keeper leagues, and he could end up useful in all formats if things fall into place for him this year.

Available in 72 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Chris Perez, St. Louis Cardinals, RP

If you listen closely, you can hear the subtle sound of about 150,000 fantasy teams dropping Jason Motte and/or Chris Perez this week.

At this point, it's safe to assume that not even Tony LaRussa truly knows who will be closing games for the Cardinals over the next couple weeks.

So far, major league batters have greeted Jason Motte rudely, while the rotund Dennys Reyes and the unexciting Kyle McClellan have collected saves.

Chris Perez was the favorite to emerge as the closer this year, but he was shut down and sent down after a case of shoulder-itis this spring. Both Motte and Perez have the potential to become quality closers, but Perez seems like a better bet.

It's true that Jason Motte did wreak havoc with his 98 mph fastball in Triple A last year, striking out 110 in 66 innings, but his slider is a work in progress. Major league hitters are going to catch up with a 98 mph fastball if they see it five consecutive times.

Perez is a more advanced pitcher, with an exceptional slider to go along with his mid-90s fastball.

Especially if you have Motte on your roster right now, picking up Perez is a great contingency plan.

Available in 84 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Other Players To Consider:

Emilio Bonifacio, Florida Marlins, 3B

Available in 28 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins, OF

Available in 47percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Khalil Greene, St. Louis Cardinals, SS

Available in 33 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Tommy Hanson, Atlanta Braves, SP

Available in 62 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

David Purcey, Toronto Blue Jays, SP

Available in 73 percent of all CBSSportsline leagues.

Can Percy Harvin Break The University of Florida Wideout Curse ?

Junkyard Jake — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:01:00 -0400

Can Percy Harvin Break The University of Florida Wideout Curse ?

Apr. 5, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

As the NFL draft approaches, University of Florida receiver Harvin appears to be a lock to go in the 1st round. Over his three years at Florida, Harvin abused defenses for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver, and then to add insult to injury, he also carried the ball 194 times for 1,852 yards and 19 scores.

His most distinguishing attributes are his rare speed and great hands, and there is no denying that he is a menace in the open field with his absurd acceleration and cutting ability.

There were some questions about his route-running, but he helped alleviate those concerns with his Mar. 19 pro day while catching everything thrown at him within a reasonable vicinity.

Oh, and as far as the relative incidental factors that are sometimes overlooked like work ethic, instincts, field awareness and blocking, yeah he scores pretty high on that stuff too.

On the negative side, Harvin is only 5-foot-11 and about 195 lbs, and he does have a little bit of an injury history. These factors probably constitute minor nitpicking in the context of the more flagrant offense that Harvin is expected to perpetuate.

That's right, Harvin is attempting to defy a history of futility that has lasted over a decade and includes the likes of Reidel Anthony, Travis Taylor, Taylor Jacobs and Chad Jackson. Evidently, Harvin has the audacity to fancy himself as a first day wide receiver selection out of Gainesville who can make an impact in the NFL.

Curse of the Timucua Indians?

Might there be some type of malevolent curse that hangs over University of Florida wide receivers, dooming them to an NFL career of best-case scenario abject mediocrity? Some possibly credible historians have postulated the existence of a 'Timucuan Indian curse' as the primary culprit behind this phenomenon. The Timucua Indians, as almost nobody recalls, were a tribe of American Indians indigenous to the Gainesville Florida area.

They were first discovered around 1514 by adventurous sea-faring Europeans, who immediately began a 200 year campaign to extinguish them. By around the year 1700, when only 1,000 Timucuan were left, legend has it that Chief 'GerryCooney' of the remaining tribe finally decided to put a nasty curse on Gainesville Florida.

As it turns out, the Timucua didn't so much mind a fair fight, or even occasional cheating at their casinos, but when it become apparent that their current British aggressors were inducing mercenaries into their ranks with non-sanctioned gifts of designer deer-skin jackets, and marinated Raccoon steaks this was the final straw.

Coincidentally, this was also the first recorded case of a possible NCAA recruiting violation.

Steve Spurious and the Fun 'n' Gun Defective Receiver Factory

Say you don't subscribe to the Indian curse thing, which is completely understandable, is it possible that the Florida offensive system has helped to inflate the draft values of at least a few of their receivers?

From 1990-2001, the Gators essentially operated under Steve Spurrier's Fun 'n' Gun offensive scheme.

This offense was unique in that it used the pass to set up the run, almost always involved a whole bunch of receivers on the field and was mostly predicated on timing between the QB and the wideouts.

Most commonly in the Fun 'n' Gun, you would have about four or five receivers running to general spots on the field, sometimes wearing clown shoes or on rollerblades. On occasion, even funny hats, unicycles and/or fake handlebar moustaches were involved.

Draft bust Florida receivers selected during the Steve Spurious era, 1997-2003

Reidel Anthony 1997 Round One, Pick 16, Overall Pick 16 (Buccaneers)- Ahhh Reidal Anthony, or the 1997 1st round draft pick that many Tampa Bay Buc fans still refer to as 'Who ?'...Yeah those flighty fans can have such a short memory, after all Anthony did have one productive season in 1998, with 51 catches, 708 yards, and 7 TDs.

Problem is, he followed this season up with 30 catches for 296 yards, and then became pretty much invisible during his final two seasons. In his last couple years as a counterfeit receiver with the team,during autograph sessions Bucs fans would typically ask him if he wouldn;t mind signing his name as Martin Gramatica.

Jacquez Green 1998 Round Two, Pick Two, Overall Pick 34 (Buccaneers)- Despite sometimes making up his own routes, and dropping more balls than Manny Ramirez when he insists on playing the outfield with his Chewbacca mask on, Jacquez Green did manage to have a couple 700 yard seasons for the Buccaneers.

By his fourth year however, Green regressed and finished with 36 catches for 402 yards. It was at this point that Tampa area sportswriters began referring to the five-10, 170 lb former Gator as 'Crappy Smurf' , and he ended up playing a couple more inconsequential seasons for the Redskins and Detroit.

On a positive note, Jaquez Green did win the Madden Bowl in 2001, demonstrating that his experience as an imaginary football player was transferable for some other purpose.

Travis Taylor 2000 Round One, Pick 10, Overall Pick 10 (Ravens) - Travis Taylor has not had a horrendous career, but considering that Laveranues Coles and Darrell Jackson were both third rounders in the 2000 draft, the only way that the Ravens could have made a bigger blunder is if they traded up to select Peter Warrick that year.

Overall, Taylor has averaged a disappointing 575 yards and three Tds per season over his NFL career, but having been in ill-fated relationships with six different teams, he does score well on the Larry King Capricious Matrimony Meter, with a reading of 85.

Taylor is also one of the only receivers in Vikings history to be tasered by the police, and perhaps his most notable role has been when he played 'Bartender Isaac Washington' in the Minnesota Vikings boat party scandal.

Jabar Gaffney 2002 Round Two, Pick One, Overall Pick 33 (Texans)- Some might characterize Gaffney's NFL career as uninspired , some might say he simply has a fear of the public spotlight.

Whichever camp you are in, and yes those are the only two choices, Gaffney has averaged 36 catches for 438 yards and 2 TDs per season since 2002. Not surprisingly, New England found him expendable heading into 2009, so expendable in fact, that they replaced him with 38 year old Joey Galloway.

This former Gator brings his inconspicuous game to Denver this season, where he probably won't be noticed until he does a couple local TV spots for Crazy Fred's Chrysler/Jeep.

Reche Caldwell 2002 Round Two, Pick 16 Overall Pick 48 (Chargers) -Caldwell showed flashes of borderline adequacy in his years with the Chargers, but ultimately finished his four years in San Diego with some fairly flimsy numbers—76 catches, 950 yards and seven TDs.

In other words, it took Caldwell four years to accumulate approximately the same numbers as current Charger WR Vincent Jackson achieved in 2008. Probably the highpoint of Caldwell's career came in 2006, when had 61 catches for 760 yards and four TDs for the Patriots.

Unfortunately Caldwell negated any goodwill he had accrued over the regular season when he dropped two critical passes in the AFC Championship game that year. Over the next two years, Caldwell went on to be released by the Patriots, the Redskins and then the Rams before he even got off the plane in St. Louis.

Taylor Jacobs 2003 Round 2, Pick 12, Overall Pick 44 (Redskins) -Orange Bowl MVP, First-team All-SEC, and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in 2002, huge megabust draft pick in 2003. I guess that's what you get when you draft a guy with a name that sounds like a professional golfers' accountant. But seriously, this guy was truly a big insult to all industrious professional golfers' accountants everywhere. Jacobs somehow lasted five seasons in the NFL, finishing up with 37 catches 384 yards and 2 TDs.

Ron Zook, Master of Intimidating Faces and Chad Jackson, Definitive Draft Bust

After Steve Spurrier and the beloved Fun 'n' Gun circus left Gainesville, current Illinois coach Ron Zook attempted to step into his very large clown shoes.

Zook's reign as Florida coach lasted from 2002 to 2004, but that was far too long for many Gator fans, who were mostly unimpressed with the fact that the Gators lost more games in their home stadium during his three years than they did in 12 seasons under Spurrier.

Some of the more fanatical Gator fans were downright enraged by Ron Zook, and felt he had caused the football program to significantly regress under his tenure. For example, some activist Florida fans commenced an Internet campaign to voice their grievances. For example, domain names such as these popped up during Zook's time at Florida:

http://fireronzook.blogspot.com
http://ronzook-hatespuppies.com
http://ronzook-is an evil space zombie.com
http://ronzook-is melting the polar ice caps.org

To this day, many fans feel that Zook was such an affront to the University of Florida football program, that his name has achieved a new special connotation with it's own special Gator fan dictionary entry:

Anyway, what was the point of all this? oh yeah, Chad Jackson. Jackson was the first notable receiver to enter the NFL as an original Ron Zook recruit, and the results have been horrendous.

Chad Jackson 2006 Round Two, Pick Four, Overall Pick 36 (Patriots)-Oh my, this turned out to be a big mistake by the Patriots. They actually gave up their third round pick to move up 16 places and select Chad Jackson in the second round.

In retrospect, this was sort of like being the highest bidder for the Ferris wheel in Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch liquidation sale. The former Florida Gator Jackson has totaled 14 catches for 171 yards in three NFL seasons. The Patriots ditched Jackson after two injury-plagued seasons, and he somehow ended up on the Broncos last year, where he caught one pass for 19 yards- hope Denver saved the receipt.

Urban 'The Legend' Meyer and Percy Harvin's Audacity of Hope

In 2005, Urban Meyer replaced the abominable Ron Zook as head coach, and has already won national championships in 2006 and 2008. While 2008 third-round pick Andre Caldwell was the last recruit from the Ron Zook era who went fairly high in the NFL draft, it was Meyer who recruited Percy Harvin.

Both Caldwell and Harvin played in Meyer's 'spread offense', which seemingly represents a better mode of preparation for NFL offensive systems. For example, the 2007 New England Patriots dabbled with a variation of the spread offense on their way to a 16-0 season and a league-record 582 points.

In contrast to the Fun 'n' Gun, Meyer's spread offense frequently features two and three-receiver sets, and those receivers typically end up facing some variation of man to man coverage.

One other significant requirement for receivers in Meyer's spread offense, is that they are sometimes expected to alter their routes based on the coverage they are seeing. This is also a skill that transfers well to the NFL.

Given that Percy Harvin was recruited by Meyer, and accumulated his gaudy 3,781 all-purpose yards and 32 touchdowns over three years in the 'spread offense' seemingly bodes well for this year's 1st round draft prospect.

If we can dismiss the existence of an actual supernatural curse that still sabotages the pro careers of University of Florida receivers, Percy Harvin sure looks like he could be a dynamic playmaker at the NFL level.

True(ly) Fabricated Sports Crime Stories: Case File No. 245

Junkyard Jake — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:34:00 -0500

Case File No. 245 Incognito Hairy Steroid Fugitives-Busted
Feb. 10, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

Say what you wish about government incompetence—clearly, they can't balance a budget, can't find Bin Laden and can't keep tainted produce out of the country. However, it is slightly encouraging to note, that there are some things that the government can still do well.

For example, if you are on steroids and trying to evade a Congressional hearing, they will track you down like the furry outlaw troll that you are.

That's what Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire found out when they tried to dodge the Congressional steroid hearings by assuming new identities and laying low in a small Appalachian mountain town circa early 2008.

Nice try guys, and thank you Congress for making the world a safer place by bringing these synthetically hairy fugitives to justice.

And let that be a lesson for the kids (and this means you too, Alex Rodriguez)—if you are going to try and dodge the 'House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,' evidently, one of the first places they will look is in your secluded mountain hideaway.

Maybe a better tactic for avoiding government prosecution is to make yourself less conspicuous in a big city somewhere. You know, maybe get a $1,000 haircut, a new pinstripe suit at Dolce & Gabbana's and hit 20 less home runs than your career average, just like you did last year.

Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft: Projected First Round

Junkyard Jake — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:53:00 -0500

Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
Projected First Round with Commentary
January 30, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

No. 1 David Wright, NY Mets, 3B
David Wright is certainly not the most popular #1 choice, but the reason we think he is worthy of such lofty status is based on his five category production, his durability and consistency, his surrounding cast and the fact that at just 26, he is entering his prime. These of course should be the primary considerations when picking any player at No. 1, and it seems that Wright conforms to the formula as well as any player this year.

No. 2 Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins, SS
Hanley Ramirez will go #1 in many drafts, and for damn good reason, as he represents that very rare middle infielder that offers 30 HR/50 SB potential. Ramirez is a little light in the RBI department, with 67 last season, and his stolen bases dropped from 51 in 2007 to 35 in 2008, but that's about as critical as you can get about the Marlins offensive sparkplug..

No. 3 Jose Reyes, NY Mets, SS
Jose Reyes does not provide the power numbers of Hanley Ramirez, and a fair projection for him is probably around 15, or approximately half of what we might see out of Ramirez. He does represent a more consistent stolen base threat however, and has swiped at least 56 bases over the past four years.

So long as he can maintain an average in the .285 to .300 area, he should continue to be an elite fantasy player.

No. 4 Alex Rodriguez, NY Yankees, 3B
You obviously have to respect Alex Rodriguez's illustrious career of producing silly numbers since about 1996, but the only caution here is that he showed some signs of slowing down last year as he dropped from 54 HRs and 156 RBI in 2007, to 35 HRs and 103 RBIs last year.

No. 5 Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B
So much for the elbow injury that was supposed to slow him down last year, as Pujols proceeded to belt 37 HRs to go along with his amazing .357 average. You can't expect more than 5-8 SBs out of Pujols, but assuming that there are no adverse effects from his October elbow surgery, he is a clear top-5 pick in any format.

No. 6 Matt Holliday, Oakland A's, OF
This draft spot for Holliday is based on the assumption that he can deliver at a pace commensurate with his production levels over the past three seasons with the Rockies.

Of course, Holliday is with the A's now, so he has some risk associated with him, but if you believe that 30 HRs and 25 SBs with a .320 average is still a strong possibility, this is where he should be drafted.

No. 7 Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies, 1B
It would be nice to see Howard get his average back near the .300 mark, but there is no denying his ability to help carry your team in the home run and RBI categories. He should once again provide about 50 home runs, with 140-150 RBI in the Phillies' potent lineup, and assuming a modest increase in batting average to about .275, he is a great No. 7 pick.

No. 8 Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians, OF
Although Grady Sizemore's average dropped 9 points to .268 in 2008, he was able to boost his HRs from 24 to 33, and his stolen bases (38), as well as RBI (90) were career highs. Sizemore's unique fantasy value is based on his power/speed combination, and at 26, he should be entering the peak years of his career.

No. 9 Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers, 1B
In his first season with the Tigers Miguel Cabrera started off slow in 2008, hitting only 10 HRs through June. He managed to turn it up a few notches in the last three months of the season however, hitting .303 with 26 HRs and 79 RBI over this span, and should make a very safe first-round pick in 2009 by virtue of his high power, RBI production and batting average potential.

No. 10 Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers, 3B
We kind of suspected that Ryan Braun's rookie season was a little too good to be true, after all, his 34 HRs and 97 RBI over 113 games in 2007 suggested that he could hit about 48 HRs and 139 RBIs over a full 162 game season.

He ended up with 37 HRs and 106 RBI over 151 games in 2008, so Braun is no mirage. Enhancing his fantasy appeal, Braun also seems to have consistent 15 stolen base potential, so there should be no reservations about snagging him in the 1st round.

No. 11 Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, OF
Well, we finally got to see what Josh Hamilton could over a full season in the majors, and the results were impressive. Of course, it took Hamilton long enough to make it out of the minors due to injuries and general indiscretions, and the risk here is that Hamilton is just a shooting star.

However, it's hard to believe that any player can hit 32 HRs with 130 RBIs by accident, and remember Hamilton was the #1 overall pick in 1999, so many scouts were expecting Hamilton to already have a couple seasons like 2008 at this point in his career.

No. 12 Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies, 2B
Chase Utley can be such an asset to your fantasy team, that he deserves 1st round consideration in any draft. When healthy, he can generally be counted on for 25-30 HRs, around 100 RBIs, a .300 average, and even 10 stolen bases.

Of course, we need to be a little cautious about Utley in 2009, as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. The latest prognosis still calls for the standout second baseman to be ready on Opening Day.

BrunoBoys.Net 2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rd. 2

Junkyard Jake — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:47:00 -0500

BrunoBoys.Net 2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - Rd. 2
A Super Early 10 Round Mock Draft for Certified Fantasy Football Maniacs Only
January 26, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

What better time to fire up a 2009 fantasy football mock draft than right before this year's Super Bowl? The writers over at BrunoBoys.Net (which is coincidentally one of the coolest fantasy football blogs around, so please check it out) have already gotten the urge to begin speculating on the 2009 season.

Here is round two with commentary from the drafting team, and our opinion on each of the picks.

2.01 -Bruno Boys Larry - Larry Fitzgerald

This was actually a very tough pick as there are still some very good running backs available. For many years my rule of thumb was to go RB with my first two picks and it was hard to pass on Frank Gore, Clinton Portis and Brandon Jacobs among others.

But in this league, we will be starting three wide receivers and I felt compelled to get a top flight WR at this point.

There will likely be a run on the WR position between now and when I pick again in 20 picks and I don't want to be left without a WR1. This is a mistake I made in one league last year when I had the number 10 pick and the WR position haunted me all season. Larry Fitzgerald has emerged as the top WR in football in my mind.

He scored 210 fantasy points last season on 96 receptions for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns.

He was very consistent all season scoring in double figures 12 times. There is no reason to believe that Fitz will have a drop off in 2009, although this pick is based on Kurt Warner returning as the Cardinals starting QB in 2009 and I have a hard time believing he won't.

With the added depth at RB in this years draft, I feel very comfortable making this pick.

Larry Fitzgerald has certainly staked his claim to the designation as top fantasy receiver for 2009, so the late first, early second round looks like the correct place to take him this year.

While it is a bit risky to forgo a solid No. 2 RB in the second round, Fitzgerald averaged 89 yards per game, with a league-leading 12 TDs (tied w/ Calvin Johnson) among wide receivers.

Even if the Cardinals are forced to go with Matt Leinart in 2009, Fitzgerald should remain one of the top receivers in the league, especially if Anquan Boldin signs elsewhere.

2.02 -Bruno Boys Cavigs - Frank Gore

With pass first offensive coordinator Mike Martz running the show in San Francisco, Gore had somewhat of a roller coaster season but things should change in 2009. Martz was given the pink slip and new head coach Mike Singletary is committed to playing smash-mouth football that features a heavy dosage of Gore.

His 283 touches and 1,409 total yards was his lowest output since his rookie season, but with him in line to get over 300 carries this year, we expect his totals to be comparable to 2006 when he had 2,180 total yards.

Bottom Line, if you can snag him in the second round (because of a sub-par 2008 showing) consider yourself lucky.

Gore ran for a respectable 1,036 yards in 2008, in fact, this was not much of a drop-off from 2007, when he ran for 1,102. Certainly Martz is a bit of a nutball, and didn’t do a very good job with the Niners offense, but he was only part of the problem last season.

More touches under Singletary seem likely for Gore, but let’s also hope that San Francisco can create more of a passing game in 2009 to help open things up in the running game.

2.03 -Fighting Chance Fantasy - Marion Barber

Really just wanted the opportunity to write Marion the Barbarian. Barber runs like he is mad at the world and refuses to ever take the easy way out of bounds and you have to admire him for that. He also has always had a nose for the end zone.

Although he has some company in the backfield in what will be second year man Felix Jones, Barber is still the main man in Dallas, and isn't a bad pass receiver as well. Fantasy football is won and lost with TDs, and you can count on 10+ out of Barber.

Marion Barber dropped off significantly down the stretch in 2008, but this was likely the result of his toe injury. It might also be noted that Dallas and Barber had the misfortune of facing the absolute most run defenses in the league over the final four weeks of the season—Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

When healthy, Barber should be the main running threat for Dallas, with Felix Jones mixed in for about 5-10 carries per game. Assuming the Cowboys can shake off their late season 2008 collapse and are granted a slightly more favorable schedule, Barber is certainly worth the risk in the second round.

2.04 -Bruno Boys Cory - Marshawn Lynch

I struggled with this pick between Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Jacobs and Chris Johnson. Ultimately, I felt too many points would be poached from Jacobs and Johnson, and injuries to Jacobs also scared me off.

Lynch is the clear-cut No. 1 back in Buffalo and though the offense struggled at times this year I see the Bills getting better. Lynch has the ability to go for 1,500 yards and 15 total touchdowns and that's the kind of production I like out of a second-round pick.

Marshawn Lynch is probably a safer pick in comparison to Jacobs and Chris Johnson because of his relative durability and consistent carries, and he is a terrific choice in the 2nd round.

While the third year back certainly has the talent to improve on the 1,047 rush yards and 8 TDs, his chances of doing this will be contingent on the Buffalo Bills ability to create a more potent offense in 2009.

One area that Lynch did improve in 2008 was in terms of receptions, where he boosted his total from 18 in 2007 to 47 in 2008.

2.05 -Bruno Boys Ziza - Clinton Portis

Having grabbed Steven Jackson with my first pick I am in need of a RB that isn't much of an injury concern that can also rack up the points. Happily, I noticed that one of my initial possible picks were still on the board in Clinton Portis.

He has played 16 games in three of the last four years and is a yardage stud. He also is good for near double digit TD's on a yearly basis. If it weren't for his bickering and dissatisfaction with the coaching staff, Portis most likely would have gone higher.

His slide has locked me in to two RB's, Jackson and Portis, who both have top-five talent. Sure, there is some risk involved, but if all goes well, this will be an awesome one-two punch at the RB position.

After missing the last seven games of 2006, Clinton Portis hasn’t missed a game over the past two years, and his productivity received a boost under Jim Zorn, as he went for 342 carries, 1,487 yards and 4.3 yards per carry in 2008, compared with 325/1,262/3.9 in 2007.

Portis is a very solid pick in the second round, and he is likely to go in the late first round in most 2009 fantasy drafts.

2.06 -Bruno Boys Whooley - Andre Johnson

The "two-running back theory" is a solid theory, but it is merely a theory. There are so many factors that will determine your second round pick that it's foolish to blindly follow it.

With so many running backs already taken, rather than end up with a second tier back, I've decided to nab one of the league's top wide receivers in Andre Johnson.

Finishing second among wide outs last season in fantasy points, Johnson put up a more than healthy 197 fantasy points, a total that allowed him to reach double digits 11 times. It's going to be nice having that type of production out of my wide receiver position.

Andre Johnson is a great pick in this spot, he is just entering his prime, and has the ability to be one of the most dominant receivers in the league.

If Matt Schaub can put together a full season, and the Texans can find an additional legitimate secondary receiver to go along with Walter and Daniels, Johnson could easily finish with the best receiving numbers in the league.

2.07 -Fantasy Football Librarian - Chris Johnson

This was a tough one. I almost went with a WR since there are three starting receivers in this league but I can't deny what a great deal Chris Johnson is at this point—plus I feel confident that there will still be solid WRs available when the draft comes back around to me in round three.

I don't fear LenDale White poaching too many yards or TDs from Johnson and think we'll get another heavy dose of Chris Johnson's explosiveness in 2009.

What a terrific rookie season Chris Johnson had, and there is no reason to believe it was a fluke. When Johnson entered the NFL, everyone knew about his speed, vision and great hands, but he also showed maturity, intelligence, plus surprisingly decent power to run inside, despite weighing only about 200 pounds.

2.08 -Fantasy Pros 911 - Brandon Jacobs

New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs missed three games and still finished the season with 1,089 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 219 carries. You can imagine what his numbers would've looked like had he played in those three games.

However, between a good receiving corps as well as backup running backs Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, Jacobs likely will receive less than 250 carries next season.

Still, he is one of the best goal-line RB's in the NFL and should have no problem exceeding his 2008 totals in 2009.

Since claiming the starting position for the Giants, Brandon Jacobs has missed 8 games over the past two years, so there is some concern about his durability, but the late second round is a great spot to take him, and he makes a top-notch No. 2 fantasy running back.

It will be interesting to see if free agent Derrick Ward opts to sign elsewhere for 2009. In the event that Ward does leave the Giants, Jacobs value should get a boost, and Ahmad Bradshaw becomes an intriguing sleeper.

2.09 -Fantasy Football Xtreme - Joseph Addai

The Colts' runner had a rough 2008 season, rushing for just 544 yards on 12 games. While he did manage to score seven times, Addai was an absolute bust in '08 given he was a top five overall pick in most formats.

What should fantasy owners expect out of Addai in 2009? Well, while I don't think it's smart to count on first-round numbers out of Addai in 2009, but he is certainly capable of it.

The Colts struggled a ton early on in the 2008 NFL season, and Addai was hampered by injuries for much of the '08 season, but I think Addai and the Colts will get off to a hot start come September.

If Addai's ADP stays in the middle-to-late second-round range as we near August drafts, get ready to snag him without hesitation. Addai could be the biggest steal in 2009 fantasy drafts!

Joseph Addai pretty much fell off the map in 2008, but he should indeed represent a nice value if you can get him in the late second early third round of your fantasy draft in 2009.

He is still just 26 years old, and had only missed one game over the 2006, 2007 seasons, so it’s unfair to classify him as an injury risk. There is no reason to believe that Addai will not return to at least 1,000 yards and eight TDs in 2009, and he has the talent to exceed those numbers.

2.10 -Junkyard Jake - Ronnie Brown

I really wanted Joseph Addai here (nice pick Smitty!), but Ronnie Brown isn't a bad consolation pick. The Miami Dolphins far exceeded expectations in 2008, and it's clear that the new regime has placed them back on a path to respectability. The offensive line is still shaky, but adding rookie Jake Long last year was a step in the right direction.

All in all, Brown had a productive 2008 while sharing time with Ricky Williams, finishing with 910 rush yards, 10 TDs and 33 catches for 254 yards. No doubt Ricky Williams looked pretty good in his return from reefer/drug suspension hiatus, but Ronnie Brown, now two years removed from reconstructive knee surgery, should become the clear feature back for Miami in 2009.

Ronnie Brown’s touchdown numbers in 2008 were somewhat padded by his 4 TD performance against New England in Week Three, but all in all, Brown pretty much performed according to expectations in his return from the ACL injury he sustained in 2007.

Now entering his fifth year, and the second year of the new Miami coaching staff, Ronnie Brown could represent one of the best values at the running back position in the late second, early third rounds of 2009 drafts.

BrunoBoys.Net 2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft, Rd. 1

Junkyard Jake — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:27:00 -0500

BrunoBoys.Net 2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - Round 1
A Super Early 10 Round Mock Draft for Certified Fantasy Football Maniacs Only
January 22, 2009 JunkyardJake.Com

What better time to fire up a 2009 fantasy football mock draft than right before this year's Super Bowl? The writers over at BrunoBoys.Net (which is coincidently one of the coolest fantasy football blogs around, so please check it out) have already gotten the urge to begin speculating on the 2009 season. As such, they have decided to round up a group of certified fantasy football maniacs for a mock draft. Round one with commentary appears below.

1.01 -Junkyard Jake - Adrian Peterson

Unlike in 2008, where the No. 1 pick was seemingly a toss-up between Peterson and Tomlinson, in 2009 Peterson may very well be the safest player to take at the No. 1 spot.

Although Peterson's 10 TDs were disappointing, he contributed a very consistent 110 yards per game, exceeding the century mark for rushing yards in 10 of 16 games played.

We loved him at No. 1 last year too, that was easy!

1.02 -Fantasy Football Xtreme - Michael Turner

Michael Turner rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2008 - He averaged 4.5 yards a pop and dropped eight 100-yard outings. That's a better fantasy campaign than even I expected, and Turner was my number one breakout candidate heading into that 2008 fantasy season.

The only downside with Turner is that he carried the football 377 times in '08, but last season was his first NFL season with more than 80 carries. He will be fine in 2009! Only Steven Jackson deserves consideration over Turner, but in the end this is an easy call for me.

Can't argue with Turner at the #2 spot, as Atlanta is a team on the rise, and very much committed to the run. The only concern here is Turner's somewhat bipolar performance in 2008. For example, he did destroy some bad defense with huge games, but also note that he tallied 70 yards or less in 6 games.

1.03 -FantasyPros911.com - LaDainian Tomlinson

I could have went with a safe pick like DeAngelo Williams or Brian Westbrook, but I have a gut feeling that LaDainian Tomlinson will be back in 2009. Even though we'll see him drop out of the first overall pick in 2009, and some may say he disappointed in 2008, he was still the sixth ranked running back with 212 fantasy points.

Tomlinson's backup, Darren Sproles is a free-agent, and at this point I think he'll jump ship, similar to what Michael Turner did a year ago. That being said, I'm looking for a revitalized LT in 2009 and see him finishing as a one of the top three running backs at season end.

Tomlinson was no doubt a big disappointment last year, but he played through injuries, and it's hard to argue with such an early choice given his big upside. Still, you have to wonder how strongly the Chargers will be committed to the soon-to-be 30 year old RB in 2009, and his 28 TD, 1,815 rush yard season in 2006 seems like a very distant memory.

1.04 -Fantasy Football Librarian - DeAngelo Williams

After a slow start to the 2008 season, Williams closed out the season with a strong showing and finished as the top back with 1,518 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs (plus a decent 22 receptions and 2 rec TDs) despite the presence of Jonathan Stewart.

I predict that Williams will continue to thrive under a system of shared carries with Stewart and will repeat some of his multi-TD games in 2009, making him another unstoppable beast next season.

Sure, he needs to continue to put up those big TD numbers in order to remain a top back, but I'm willing to risk that he's more than likely to impress again. I was tempted to go with Forte or Westbrook here but think Williams might be the better bet for the important trio of staying strong all season, remaining injury free and putting up big numbers.

Williams was indeed a 'beast' this past season, and he will probably be slightly overrated heading into 2009. While he has proven himself to be a legitimate fantasy RB, Jonathan Stewart. who had some injury problems in 2008, is too good to be a 2nd string player, and remains a serious threat to playing time.

1.05 -Bruno Boys Whooley - Matt Forte

If you want consistency for your 2009 season, look no further than Chicago Bears' running back, Matt Forte. In a stellar rookie campaign, Forte amassed double digit fantasy points in all but three games, and in those three games, he didn't miss by much going for 7, 8, and 9 fantasy points. He'll continue to be a focal point of the Bears' offense and should hover around 20-25 carries throughout the year. This consistent back should have no problem avoiding the sophomore slump.

Forte certainly was a very pleasant surprise in 2008, and it looks like the Bears have found a very reliable workhorse to lead their rushing game in 2009. One big benefit associated with Forte should continue to be his steady touches per game. This past season, he carried the ball 20 or more times in 11 games, and also pitched in about 4 catches per game.

1.06 -Bruno Boys Ziza - Steven Jackson

Sitting in the middle of the first round, one is succumbed to two real facts. A) The best running backs are off of the board. B) It is way too early to draft another position. I am one that truly believes that a championship is built through the running back position, especially in leagues that reward quarterbacks four points for a passing TD and wide receivers are not rewarded points per reception.

That leaves a solid amount of running backs to chose from, but none that are clearly better than the other. At this point I am thinking Brandon Jacobs, Steven Jackson, Brian Westbrook and Clinton Portis. All of them have their question marks, but it is Jackson that tempts me.

He will be only 26 next year, has a new coaching regime that believes in solid defense and a run-first philosophy, was a yardage machine before missing 4 games in each of the last two years and if stretched over a 16 game season, he would of totaled just short of 1,700 total yards while getting 8 TD's in 2007 and just short of 1,900 total yards while visiting pay dirt almost 11 TD's this past season. Those number would have been for 256 points. At this point, I feel it is a gamble that could pay off very handsomely.

Steven Jackson at the 6th spot might be the best the value of the 1st round. As mentioned, he is only 26, his talent is undeniable, and so long as he can stay healthy in 2009, he will be the centerpiece of the Rams offensive attack.

1.07 -Bruno Boys Cory - Drew Brees

Well it was so hard to pass up a running back in the first round but my main concern is points. At this point I feel like I can still get two decent RBs later while getting the top QB on the board. Maybe he won't throw for more than 5,000 yards next year but I can't imagine his point totals dropping too much, especially with everybody expected to be healthy next season. I like the emergence of Lance Moore as a WR2 and Pierre Thomas as an heir to RB2 to Deuce McAllister. I wouldn't mind seeing the line improved a bit but overall I feel comfortable taking the top QB with the seventh pick, especially considering I couldn't settle on a RB I liked enough at this spot.

It's always a risk when you choose to pick a quarterback in the 1st round, but given that all the obvious RB choices have been taken with the 1st six picks, Brees makes sense here. Coming off a career season with 34 TDs and over 5,000 yards, and working in a pass-heavy offense, Brees looks like he might be a popular early round selection in 2009.

1.08 -Fighting Chance Fantasy - Brian Westbrook - I bash this guy all the time for his ability to stay healthy, I even gave him the nickname Brian "Game Time Decision" Westbrook, but I just couldn't pass him up here. Even with missing two games he still had 14 touchdowns and had over 1,300 all purpose yards. If he is able to stay healthy, a monumental "if", you could easily see a return to 2007 numbers and I have a huge steal on my hands. He will always be the focus of that offense, and as he goes, Philly goes. I REALLY almost went with Peyton here, but there are plenty of quarterbacks that I like.

Westbrook deserves to go in the 1st round, but probably carries an extra measure of risk in 2009. He will turn 30 next season, so that won't help his vulnerability to the type of nagging injuries he is famous for. Also of concern is Westbrook's dropoff in yards per carry from 5.1 in 2006 to 4.8 in 2007 to 4 in 2008.

1.09 -Bruno Boys Cavigs - Maurice Jones-Drew - Jones-Drew finished 2008 with a bang, as the third year running back had 10+ fantasy points in seven of his last 9 games. With running back Fred Taylor expected to leave town the Jaguars are making a commitment to Jones-Drew as the primary ball carrier. His 197 carries this year was a career high and with no RBBC in 2009 he should be able to approach 250 carries. Plus, Jones-Drew is arguably the best pass catching RB in the NFL, finishing with 62 receptions on the season. Expect those number to continue and the added rushing totals to propel Jones-Drew into a reliable RB1. I also considered Steve Slaton, Brandon Jacobs, Clinton Portis and Frank Gore but Jones-Drew grades out the best heading into 2009.

This is a solid and gutsy pick that will no doubt pay off if Fred Taylor is out of the picture for Jacksonville in 2009. Jones-Drew has already been the goalline back for the Jaguars, and was clearly the superior RB in Jacksonville this past season. Of course, the Jags will need to fix their offensive line problems, but the situation was so bad in that regard, it can only improve in 2009.

1.10 -Bruno Boys Larry - Steve Slaton

Slaton was not a first rounder in 2008, as a matter of fact he was a late round pick and even went undrafted in many leagues. As a rookie he caught many fantasy owners by surprise. He could not have been drafted into a better situation as the Texans did not head into the season with a clear cut number one RB.

Ahman Green was slated to be the teams starter, but as usual injuries were an issue. Slaton was given a chance in Week 3 of the season and he did not disappoint. He went on to carry the ball 268 times for 1,282 yards with 9 touchdowns.

Slaton also added 50 receptions for 377 yards with 1 touchdown. The Texans managed to get Slaton 20 plus touches a game 9 times in 2008 and that number should grow in 2009. He is a game breaker and I am ecstatic to land him with the number 10 pick.

It's surprising to see Slaton go so early in this mock draft, but considering that the rookie provided the Texans with their first legitmate rushing threat since Domanick Davis, he looks like a keeper. His 1,282 rush yards were certainly impressive, but even more impressive was his consistency. Really he only had one bad game (vs. Baltimore- 4 carries for 7 yards), and he proved he could compete against some tough defenses (26 for 120 against Green Bay, 24 for 100 against Tennessee late in the season).

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers - Nov. 14

Junkyard Jake — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:04:00 -0500

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated November 14, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Joseph Addai ,RB

Wow, has this guy disappeared into the fantasy suck-o-sphere or what? Colts RB Joseph Addai hasn't cracked the century-mark in rush yards since last November, and in 10 of his last 15 starts, he has committed the ultimate affront that can be perpetuated by a fantasy runningback, he has failed to break 50 rush yards in a game.

So granted, Addai has let everyone down, but if Guns 'N Roses and AC/DC can pull-off successful comeback tours, why not Joseph Addai? Over the next six weeks, the Colts play Houston, San Diego, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and Jacksonville, so if Joseph Addai is ever going to lead the charge in an Indianapolis running game revival, it may as well be over the final stretch of the 2008 season.

Tyler Thigpen/Dwayne Bowe/Larry Johnson ,QB/WR/RB

After Tyler Thigpen's first start, which resulted in a 128 yard three INT calamity against the Atlanta Falcons in Week Three, you just know he earned the nickname 'Toady Pigpen' by some of his more immature teammates, and that's just childish, wrong and hurtful.

Well, Thigpen has certainly showed those naysayers, reversing his dreadful play earlier this season, and looking like a genuine NFL QB over the past three weeks—averaging 236 pass yards, two TDs, and even running for an average 20 yards per game.

Thigpen's emergence is great news for Dwyane Bowe, who has been very consistent, and should remain an every week starter. Thigpen and Bowe face the suspect New Orleans in Week 11, but could be especially valuable during the fantasy playoffs, when they face Denver, San Diego, and Miami, teams that all rank in the bottom 10 against fantasy QBs.

Also of note on the Kansas City front, Larry Johnson is scheduled to return in Week 11 and should immediately upgrade their struggling running game. Johnson still faces more possible suspension time this season, depending on the outcome of his civil silliness trial, but so long as your league doesn't deduct points for objectionable conduct, random stupidity, assault and battery and/or negligent spitting, he should be safe to use for at least a couple weeks.

Trent Edwards/Lee Evans/Marshawn Lynch ,QB/WR/RB

Yeah, of course it's been disappointing that these guys weren't able to do jack-squiggly-doo against division rivals Jets and Patriots the past two weeks, but sticking with them could pay off over the next month, when the Bills play Cleveland, Kansas City, San Francisco and then Miami.

Edwards and Evans have not been alone in their ineptitude, as Marshawn Lynch has been equally awful. In fact, over the past two weeks, the only thing more unsightly than his Yahoo! promotional photo has been Lynch's on field performance, as he has managed a paltry total of 69 rush yards for a 2.69 yards per carry in these two games.

The Bills upcoming opponents of Cleveland, Kansas City and San Francisco give up oodles of rush yards, so Lynch should bounce back and help make amends for his recent transgressions.

Peyton Hillis ,RB

Well, evidently the job of runningback for the Denver Broncos has recently surpassed high rise office building window washer, electrical power installer, coal miner and food taster for tyrannical Central American dictator as most dangerous occupation.

With Ryan Torain, Michael Pittman and Andre Hall now out for the season, the Broncos might turn to Peyton Hillis as their lead runningback if he can get the job done. Hillis was the lead blocker for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas, and that looks good on anyone's resume, but he is also fairly talented player in his own right.

He has good speed for his size (6'1", 250 lbs), running in about the 4.6 range, reliable hands, and his tough, inside running could be just what Denver needs at this point. Also note that Denver has recently signed perennial disappointment Tatum Bell, and Selvin Young might become relevant if he can recover from his groin injury, but Hillis is definitely worth a shot in the short-term if you lack depth at the runningback position.

Joe Flacco/Derrick Mason/Mark Clayton ,QB/WR

There is no doubt that rookie QB Joe Flacco has one of the best arms in the league, the guy can flat out launch a pass into the next zip code. Moreover, ever since hurling up three interceptions against the Colts in Week Six, Flacco has looked much less like a clueless rookie, and produced some legitimate fantasy numbers, with a QB rating well over 100, and a six TDs/ zero INT ratio since Week Eight.

So what's the problem, shouldn't I start Flacco over Brett Favre, that bum only threw for 167 yards last week? Well, while that doesn't sound as crazy as it sounded back in September, note that Flacco and the Ravens passing game have experienced their best games against Miami, Cleveland and Houston. These are three teams that David Carr could complete at least a couple passes against.

With the Giants and Eagles coming up for Baltimore, and Derrick Mason expected to be limited with a shoulder injury this week, it's probably not a great time to plug Flacco into your lineup.

Marvin Harrison ,WR

One of the more interesting rumors that came out of last weeks Steelers/Colts game, was that Pittsburgh pretty much applied the 'AT&T Network' defense on WR Marvin Harrison, meaning that they allowed Harrison the latitude to roam the field, offering only limited coverage.

Assuming that this was the case, Harrison seemingly should have been able to produce a better game then three catches for 37 yards, and two dropped touchdowns.

Marvin Harrison is one of the great receivers in NFL history, but it is becoming more apparent that Anthony Gonzalez would be the better option for the Colts passing game, and Harrison probably should not be rated any better than a No.4 fantasy receiver, i.e. a replacement for someone like Kevin Walter if he is abducted by aliens.

Benjarvus Green-Ellis/Sammy Morris/LaMont Jordan ,RB

Benjarvus Green-Ellis probably gave New England their best rushing effort of the season last week, with 26 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. The problem with the Patriots running game situation is that Kevin Faulk seems to be the only constant as the designated 3rd down back.

With Sammy Morris and/or LaMont Jordan looming in the infirmary, nobody knows exactly who will be getting the carries for New England over the next few weeks. Morris and Jordan would probably be the favorites if/when they return from injury limbo, but with upcoming games against the Jets, Dolphins and Steelers, all decent run defenses, it might be best to just steer clear of the entire mess.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers - Oct. 31

Junkyard Jake — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:08:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated October 31, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Derrick Ward, RB

While Brandon Jacobs is clearly the vice president in charge of running over people for the NY Giants running game department, it's hard to ignore the level of involvement assumed by Derrick Ward. Certainly in the area of catching the ball, Ward has a clear advantage over Jacobs, and he usually gets about 30% of the total rushing carries.

Ward could be especially useful as a receiver over the next three weeks when the Giants play Dallas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, as these teams have not been friendly to opposing running games.

Of course the other reason to like Derrick Ward, is that he gets to run behind one of the best offensive lines in league. In fact, after they retire in 5-6 years, I nominate the Giants offensive line to take over security on the Canada–United States border, if anyone can keep those pesky Canadians out of the country, it is the NY Giants offensive line. (Just kidding, we love you Canada)

Zach Miller, TE

The 2008 Oakland Raiders don't exhibit anything that could classified as a "passing game" by any traditional definition of the phrase, but when they do try to throw the ball, their most consistent threat seems to TE Zach Miller.

Miller is a smart player with great hands who knows how to find voids in the defense, and usually ends up with 5-6 targets per game. While 5 targets per game doesn't sound like the makings of a fantasy bonanza, in the context of the Oakland passing game, it's good enough to make Miller the leading receiver.

Of course, the other pleasantly unique attributes that Miller offers, are 1) unlike Javon Walker, you won't find him balancing his checkbook on the the sideline during a game, and 2) unlike Ronald Curry, he usually catches the ball when it is thrown at him.

The Raiders have one of the most favorable remaining schedules against the pass this year, and Miller is certainly worth a shot, especially in the next two weeks against Atlanta and Carolina.

Kevin Curtis, WR

Predicting what will happen with the Philadelphia Eagles offense from week to week is about as easy as predicting which window of your car will be busted and which personal items will be missing from your car after parking in North Philly for the annual 'Shout Random Cusswords at a Uniformed Officer' weekend.

Despite their lack of consistency, Curtis and the Eagles passing offense are intriguing because Donovan McNabb is still a damn good quarterback, and now DeSean Jackson represents a new legitimate distraction for opposing defenses. This should mean that Kevin Curtis will be able to produce a few big games in the 2nd half of the season.

These big games will probably happen at unexpected times of course, but he should be worthy of #3 fantasy receiver consideration in the other weeks too, unlike the generally useless Reggie Brown.

Trent Edwards/Lee Evans, QB/WR

It's too early to proclaim that Trent Edwards is the new Jim Kelly without the unsightly razor stubble, but he has sure looked damn good so far. He has yet to break through with a multiple TD game, but he's completed about 70% of his passes, and consistently connected with his best offensive weapon, Lee Evans.

This is a positive development, because it seems that Evans would disappear for stretches in previous seasons, averaging 2 catches for 20 yards right after a 190 yard 2 TD game.

Of course, Evans has never had any problem getting open, or streaking past a defense. In fact, Lee Evans is probably fast enough to run past many NFL defensive backs, leaving himself enough time in most cases to build a campfire in the end-zone before the free safety catches up. Unfortunately there is no fantasy statistic that accounts for this very useful talent, and his consistency this season has been far more useful for fantasy purposes.

Torry Holt, WR

It had to happen eventually, but it certainly appears that the great Torry Holt is slowing down, and over the past couple weeks has begun to be overshadowed by emerging star Donnie Avery.

Holt is still worth hanging onto for sentimental reasons, and will probably continue to perform as a fair #2 or good #3 fantasy receiver, but certainly if you could work out a trade of some sort to fill a hole in your roster, you may be better off.

We have all been in that league where one of the owners was just thawed out after being cybergenically frozen in 1997. You know the guy, he is still listening to Smash Mouth and Coolio on his Walkman and is fully expecting Torry Holt to bounceback and finish this year with a "greatest show on turf" flurry.

Trade Holt to this guy for Matt Forte or Eddie Royal.

Ahman Green/Steve Slaton, RB

Steve Slaton has indeed started off his career with flair, and it looks like he has the potential to be a very productive runningback, despite possessing the same approximate height and weight dimensions of Wesley Snipes.

That said, it might be wise to leave Slaton on the bench for the next two weeks when the Texans play Minnesota in week 9, and then Baltimore in week 10.

Another issue that has diluted Slaton's value somewhat, is the Texans persistent and inexplicable policy of continuing to use Ahman Green.

Of course, Green's availability is always tenuous at best due to his fragile nature, but hopefully after Houston gets past it's scheduling rough patch we will find that Mr. Green has finally retired to pursue the figure skating career that he has been postponing.

Then Steve Slaton can assume his deserved role as a full-time starter.

Cedric Benson, RB

Ok, so it looks like this past week against the Houston Texans may have been the window of opportunity to use Cedric Benson for fantasy purposes, and quite possibly the window slammed on your fingers if you were expecting more than 7 points from our favorite party girl, who still hasn't figured out how to pass block.

After this week against the Jaguars, the Bengals have their week 10 bye, and then proceed to crank up that potent offense of theirs against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. Just say " no" to any part of the Bengals offense for the next month is kind of what it looks like.

Derek Anderson/Donte Stallworth QB,WR

For Derek Anderson to keep the Mighty-Brady Quinn on the bench, he will probably need to have more than one productive game a month. Anderson has obviously been horrendous so far this year, and if you subtract his 310 yard, 2 TD game against the Giants in week 6, he has completed only 46% of his passes, and produced an average 135 yards per game. The Browns could bring back Tim Couch to do that shnizzle%$#.

While we are picking on the Browns, as if that's been difficult (almost ever), did they actually look at Donte Stallworth's illustrious resume before signing him this off-season?

The only consistent thing about Stallworth, is that it will be virtually assured that he will miss about 8 games a season...two for injuries, and then the other six usually the result of getting lost coming out of the tunnel before the game.

Years from now, scientists will finally realize that it is not paranormal/alien activity that explains crop circles, it has been Donte Stallworth running around on football fields pretending to be an NFL receiver.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers - Oct. 11

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:07:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated October 11, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Jason Campbell ,QB

Despite the fact that the blitz-crazy Eagles were swarming all over Jason Campbell like flies on potato salad at the company picnic, he once again remained poised, and turned in yet another winning performance.

Granted, 176 passing yards and 0 TDs didn't help you from a fantasy perspective this week, but stop your whining, because Campbell should definitely improve on those numbers against St. Louis, Cleveland and Detroit over the next three weeks.

Although there was originally some concern about Jason Campbell in terms of his ability to run Washington's new timing offense, he has adjusted quickly, still has not thrown an interception, and looks like he could be on the verge of a breakout seaon.

Brandon Stokley/Daniel Graham ,WR/TE

With Eddie Royal (ankle) possibly out until after the Broncos week 8 bye, and Jay Cutler on pace to throw 2,700 passes this season, it seems that Brandon Stokley should have some immediate value.

Even with Eddie Royal starting at the No. 2 spot, Stokley has been a consistent contributor, with 32 targets (about 6 per game) for the Broncos, so he seems like a safe bet.

If you feel the need to get a little adventurous, TE Tony Scheffler left Denver's week 5 contest with a groin injury, so it is possible that Daniel Graham could emerge from relative obscurity to provide fantasy points at the TE spot in the near term.

Bobby Engram,WR

Hey check it out, Bobby 'Mr. Excitement' Engram is back for Seattle and yes, that is probably the most egregiously inappropriate use of the moniker 'Mr. Excitement' since it was used sardonically by the producer of Meet the Press to describe Dick Cheney before his last appearance on that show.

While Engram is certainly not someone who is going to light up the fantasy scoreboard, he is probably worth picking up if you need a bye week replacement over the next few weeks.

Sadly enough, the 35-year old Engram is probably the most reliable receiving option the Seahawks have right now. This is especially true since Deion Branch injured himself again in week 5 (wow, that's a shocker) and TE John Carlson apparently decided to take a rookie mental vacation this past week against the Giants, finishing with zero catches.

Laurence Maroney/Sammy Morris,RB

Ok, let's see if we can get this New England runningback situation straight. We have career backup Sammy Morris masquerading as the implied starter over last years most effective rusher Laurence Maroney. Then we mix in some token carries from LaMont Jordan to remind us why we signed him off the free agent scrap heap, and then we use the fear-provoking 5 foot 8 Kevin Faulk at the goalline to assert our scoring authority.

Makes perfect sense....

Laurence Maroney is still the only RB worth holding onto in this mess, but he obviously can't be used for fantasy purposes until the Patriot RB rotation becomes a little less perplexing.

Reggie Williams/Jerry Porter,WR

Aside from the apparently rehabilitated Matt 'Magic Mushroom' Jones, who has been surprisingly focused so far, poor David Garrard isn't getting much help from anybody else in the Jaguars passing game.

Of course, offensive line injuries and the inability to consistently run the ball hasn't helped matters, but it also seems that Jacksonville hasn't had a reliable deep threat since Jimmy Smith retired.

Reggie Williams is about as slow as the line at the DMV, and Jerry Porter, who returned this past week to catch one pass for six yards, currently leads the league in lethargic lollygagging.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers Oct. 4

Junkyard Jake — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:34:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated October 4, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Mewelde Moore, RB

If you blinked, you missed the debut of the much-heralded rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall this past Monday night. Unfortunately, in the midst of a nondescript nine carries for 30 yards performance, Mendenhall fractured his shoulder, and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

The rookie is still worth holding onto in keeper formats, because he has the potential to be a very good RB. However, keeping with the theme of trying to win this year, Mewelde Moore is a great guy to pickup in the current week.

Although Moore is not known for his raw speed, he is a shifty back who has shown natural instincts, and he excels as a receiver. In 2005, Moore finished with 662 rush yards added 37 receptions for 339 yards in limited duty, so he has demonstrated the ability to be fantasy relevant.

Matt Ryan/Roddy White, QB/WR

Much to the chagrin of the Falcons coaching staff, it will not be possible to hand the ball off to Michael Turner on every single play. As it turns out, it seems that NFL defenses tend to catch on to this ploy, and start to make adjustments, like using four defensive tackles on third down. This may work out fine, because Matt Ryan is slowly progressing and looks like he is going to be a pretty good QB, perhaps even worthy of using for fantasy purposes this season.

Ryan's strengths are his intelligence and accuracy, and while he was expected to struggle a bit in the long passing game, he has actually looked pretty good in this area as well. Roddy White started out a little slow this year, but he is clearly Ryan's most capable target. In the past two weeks, White has been very solid, with 209 yards and a TD.

This past week against Carolina, he was targeted by Matt Ryan a total of 17 times, so he is certainly a guy you want to keep in your lineup.

Steve Slaton, RB

It didn't take the Houston Texans long to figure out that rookie Steve Slaton was the best choice to give their uninspiring running game a boost. Given that Ahman Green typically hurts himself while putting on his shoes, it's not like Slaton had any great obstacle to surpass, but nonetheless the rookie has been a fairly impressive starter.

He broke out with a 118 yard performance against a very strong Titans defense, and while he couldn't repeat his ground success last week against the Jaguars (33 rushing yards), he made up for it with 8 catches for 83 yards. Slaton is probably worth using as a No. 2 RB right now, if you are tired of trying to figure out what someone like Thomas Jones will do each week.

Robert Meachem, WR

The New Orleans Saints receiver situation makes about as much sense as the latest X-files movie, and the biggest mystery is trying to figure out exactly why Robert Meachem has yet to pass the thoroughly unremarkable David Patten, and the consistently maladroit Devery Henderson on the depth chart.

Meachem, as you might recall, was considered by many scouts as a close 2nd to Calvin Johnson in terms of future potential coming out of the 2007 draft. So far this season, he was inactive for one game, and in a part-time role, has 5 catches for 204 yards, with 2 TDs in the three games he has played.

Maybe the Saints can do some simple mathmatical extrapolation here and figure out that Meachem is probably the best receiver on their roster.

J.T. O'Sullivan/Vernon Davis, QB/TE

J.T. O'Sullivan has certainly been suitable as a #2 fantasy QB so far this season, but in the same way we would never want to see famous late-night sidekick Paul Schafer fill-in for David Letterman, you probably don't want to use O'Sullivan as your starter unless the matchup is exceptional. Unfortunately, over the next month or so, the San Francisco 49ers appear to some unexceptional matchups, with New England, Philadelphia, the Giants and the Seahawks on the schedule.

As far as Vernon Davis, I guess we should have seen it coming. Mike Martz spread offense is not friendly to the TE position, and although the Niners have been utilizing his speed on some deep routes, it is more likely that the ball will bounce off Davis's helmet than land in his hands. Unfortunately, this has been a recurring pattern for Vernon Davis in his young career so far.

Todd Heap, TE

Evidently Todd Heap couldn't make it to the game this week, and the Ravens deployed a decoy imposter to take his place on the field. This imposter did an outstanding job avoiding the football on all offense plays, and if you observe the boxscore from this weeks game, you will once again find that Todd Heap and his imposter have succeeded in their covert operation to produce exactly zero catches and yards.

There are too many decent young TE's that are most likely available on the waiver wire to waste much more time with Heap, so if you can grab someone like Greg Olsen, Dustin Keller, or Zach Miller, it may be time to do so.

Selvin Young, RB

Selvin Young is still the lead runningback in Denver, but there is a confluence of factors that will probably make him a bad start for the foreseeable future. For one thing, the Broncos are clearly emphasizing the passing game, and this new downfield bonanza doesn't seem to include alot of swing passes to runningbacks.

Of course, the other issue is the multitude of options that fickle Mike Shanahan has at his disposal. So far, the maximum number of carries that Young has been given is 11, with Andre Hall and Michael Pittman currently involved in the collective effort.

To possibly add to the clutter in the near future, Ryan Torain is expected to return in week 8 or so, which could further diminish Young's already deflated value.

Ricky Williams, RB

Grab your luggage, bid the conductor a 'good day', and don't forget to tuck and roll—it's time to jump off the Ricky Williams makes-a-comeback train. While Williams is certainly worth hanging on to if you also have Ronnie Brown on your roster, that is probably the extent of his usefulness after Brown's resounding 113 yard 4 TD declaration that his knee is not an issue any longer.

Williams also had a decent day, of course, with 98 yards, but in the event that Brown continues to play well, it's hard to see how Miami will continue giving Williams 50 percent of total carries as the season progresses.

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers—Sept. 9

Junkyard Jake — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:34:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated September 9, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

DeSean Jackson/LJ Smith,WR/TE

It was like the good old days for the Eagles offense on Sunday, Donovan McNabb was actually on the field, instead of on the sidelines with a miscellaneous leg injury, the hometown Eagles fans were yelling rude, sometimes obscene things in the direction of coach Andy Reid, and the passing game was actually resulting in consistent positive yardage.

Now of course, the Eagles played the Rams this past week, so we will see what they can do against a much more competent Dallas secondary.

Nonetheless, after effectively taking last year off, Donovan McNabb was very sharp, blazing fast rookie DeSean Jackson looked far from clueless, and oft-injured L.J. Smith was even helping out. It is interesting to note that Smith, who finished with five catches for 39 yards and a TD was targeted an impressive six times in the redzone.

Jerious Norwood,RB

Could this finally be the year that the Atlanta coaching staff gives Norwood more than 2 carries a game? They have been promising to do this since like the Year of SpiderMonkey (which I think equates to 2004 on Chinese animal zodiac).

Norwood's 93 yards on 14 carries seems almost inconspicuous compared to the 220 yard beating that Michael Turner inflicted on the hapless Detroit Lions, but if Norwood continues to get over 10 touches a game, he has the game breaking-ability and explosive speed to make him a viable No. 3 RB.

Tim Hightower,RB

He didn't do much with the eight carries he received, but the fact that he spelled Edgerrin James on 25% of the running plays is significant. More appealing is the fact that Hightower did score a short rushing TD, and he was fairly involved in the passing game, with three catches for 21 yards.

In total, Hightower was targeted four times, twice in the redzone. Edgerrin James is still playing well, but he is 30 now. (When measured in Nascar driver years, 30 years old is about 58 years old for an NFL runningback). As the season progresses, it seems likely that Hightower will see ample opportunity to let James attend to his arthritis and naptime if necessary.

Dwayne Bowe,WR

It won't matter much who is throwing the ball for Kansas City, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard are both marginal QB's, and they both like throwing to Dwayne Bowe, mostly because the Chiefs really don't have any other wide receiver worth throwing to.

Bowe was targeted 14 times on Sunday, seven by Croyle, and then seven times by Huard after Croyle left with an injury. The second year receiver finished with only 49 yards and a TD, but should be able to deliver better performances if you stick with him.

Thomas Jones/Leon Washington,RB

After spending most of last season running face-first into a bunch of defensive tackles on every play, nobody was more surprised to see running lanes on Sunday than Thomas Jones.

Clearly, the additions of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody to the Jets offensive line will help the Jets generate a running game this year, and with Brett Favre at QB, opposing defense have something besides Nick Mangolds unpleasant aftershave to fear. Leon Washington wasn't able to get it going this past week, but he will likely make an impact at some point as the designated change-of-pace RB.

Other Possible Sleepers

QB-Matt Schaub, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, Jake Delhomme, Aaron Rodgers
RB-Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, Laurence Maroney, Ronnie Brown
Lorenzo Booker, Chris Perry, Sammy Morris, Jonathan Stewart
WR- Lee Evans, Anthony Gonzalez, Robert Meachem, Chris Chambers
Vincent Jackson, Sidney Rice, Ronald Curry, Kevin Walter
DeSean Jackson, Steve Breaston, Bryant Johnson, Patrick Crayton
TE-Heath Miller, Greg Olsen, Dustin Keller, Zach Miller
Anthony Fasano, Robert Royal, John Carlson, Vernon Davis
DEF-New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars

Kyle Orton,QB

All the Bear fans in Hooville were observed cheering Kyle Orton-hears-a-hoo, as he carefully avoided mishaps and put the Colts defense to sleep with a barrage of meticulously-located seven yard passes on Sunday night.

Watching Orton is obviously not as exciting as watching Rex Grossman throw 45 yards downfield into triple coverage, but that's probably a welcome change for Bear fans. Chicago won't demand much out of Kyle Orton, and that will work out fine, because he is not capable of much, and he probably won't be much of a fantasy factor.

Matt Cassel/Randy Moss,QB/WR

You know the thought ran through Bill Belichick's head, if maybe just briefly...'Am I better off with second string QB Matt Cassel, a guy I just remembered we still have on our roster, or Tom Brady hopping on one leg?'

Well, it could be that there is finally a real QB competition in New England now, Matt Cassel vs. possibly Tim Rattay and/or Chris Simms vs. Tom Brady hopping around on one leg.

Cassel is capable, but obviously can't provide the level of play that is anywhere close to that of Tom Brady. As far as Randy Moss, he can make almost any QB look good when he plays for an entire 60 minutes, but clearly the Patriots passing offense just got downgraded to a large degree.

Devery Henderson,WR

It's difficult to understand how New Orleans keeps Robert Meachem on the inactive list, and chooses to start Devery Henderson, who has a PHd in dropping passes.

Of course, it worked out pretty well, as Henderson managed to hang onto a pass for an 84 yard TD, but this should be considered little more than a pleasant surprise, sort of like finding a parking spot right by the front door at Wal-Mart. At some point, it seems that Meachem will get his chance to start over Henderson, and it seems he could be a significant upgrade.

Chad Pennington/Ted Ginn,QB/WR

Chad Pennington is probably one of the smartest QBs in the league, but his feeble arm is a clear liability. In other words, it's certainly terrific if your QB can solve algebra problems, and read defenses, but sometimes it's also nice to have a guy that can throw the ball 30 yards down the field with some zip on it.

Pennington ain't that guy, and Ted Ginn's speed is somewhat wasted without a quarterback who can chuck up some reckless long passes every once in a while. Moreover, Ginn could remain an especially risky start, since he still seems to have difficulty getting open on short timing routes.

Fred Taylor,RB

To state the obvious, the Jaguars were skunked in a huge way on Sunday by Tennessee, who essentially left Titan tracks all over Jacksonville's offensive skill players. David Garrard was especially abused, and might seriously consider pressing charges after getting sacked seven times.

To make matters worse for the Jaguars, and their invisible running-game, they also lost both starting offensive guards, Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams. While Maurice Jones-Drew should still be somewhat productive, it's hard to see Fred Taylor coming anywhere close to his performance without the same level of offensive line play he benefited from last season.

Other Possible Creepers

QB- Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, Matt Leinart, JaMarcus Russell
RB- Warrick Dunn, Selvin Young, Deuce McAllister, Michael Bush
LenDale White, Edgerrin James, De'shaun Foster, Willis McGahee
WR- Marvin Harrison, Reggie Brown, Derrick Mason, Javon Walker, Isaac Bruce
Reggie Williams, Michael Jenkins, Darrell Jackson, Ernest Wilford, Ike Hilliard
TE- Ben Troupe, Chris Baker, Leonard Pope, Mercedes Lewis
DEF-Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers, Aug. 18

Junkyard Jake — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:43:00 -0400

Fantasy Football Sleepers/Creepers
Our thoughts on some possible undervalued and overvalued players...

Updated Aug. 18, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Laurence Maroney RB

Poor, neglected Laurence Maroney, who spent too many Sundays in 2007 watching Tom Brady and Randy Moss streak down the field on 80-yard TD drives, usually ending the day with a meager contribution of 12 carries for 52 yards.

Of course, the Patriots' prolific passing attack wasn't Maroney's only impediment; it didn't help that he also missed three games with a groin injury and had four games with 10 or less carries. Predictably, the unforgiving fantasy football world has taken note of Maroney's 2007 shortcomings, and his draft stock has significantly dropped from a late first-round pick in 2007 to an early third-round pick in 2008.

Remember, it's not like this guy can't play; he rushed for over 120 yards against both Jacksonville and San Diego during the Patriots' 2007 playoff run, and note that New England has a predicted easy schedule against the run.

(Also consider that New England's predicted schedule against the pass doesn't look quite as good, and this could lead to more contribution from the running game this year.)

All in all, even if Maroney has the same exact performance as last season, he is worth a third-round fantasy pick, but his potential for a breakout make him a compelling player to target.

Eli Manning/Kevin Boss/Steve Smith QB/TE/WR

After his playoff and Super Bowl heroics, you have to wonder what else Eli Manning needs to do to gain a little respect in a fantasy draft. Maybe he can save some puppies from a burning building or convince North Korea to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Perhaps those are the type of accomplishments that could bump his average position up a little bit.

Granted, we are still waiting for Manning to break the 80 QB-rating barrier, which he surprisingly has not done since entering the league in 2004. Nonetheless, even a modest improvement over his typical 19 TD, 3,300-yard season will justify his eighth-round fantasy draft spot.

Two other potential values from the Giants' offense could be TE Kevin Boss and No. 3 receiver Steve Smith. Boss will replace Jeremy Shockey at TE this season and actually compares quite favorably with Shockey in terms of size and speed. You should be able to draft Kevin Boss in the 16th or 17th round, and that could be quite a bargain.

Receiver Steve Smith played only four regular-season games in 2007, but ended up as a valuable contributor in the playoffs for the Giants. Smith is not especially fast, but he is intelligent, runs great routes, and has good hands. He is typically available in the 16th round, and if Amani Toomer ever remembers that he is almost 35-years old, Smith could significantly outplay that draft position.

Andre Hall/Eddie Royal RB/WR

The Mike "Shananigans" Shanahan annual running-back derby is in full swing, and although Selvin Young is the projected No. 1 RB on his amorphous depth chart, does anyone really feel comfortable drafting him?

Let's be realistic, at this point in the Denver running-game sweepstakes, is it safe to dismiss any possibility? Anthony Alridge? Why not? Ryan Torain with a bionic elbow? Sure. Barry Sanders, Kordell Stewart, or Michael Jordan? All right, now you are just being silly, but I can't say I'd be shocked.

Selvin Young is appropriately getting picked in the sixth round so far this year, but the better speculative bet could be Andre Hall. Hall had already ascended to No. 2 on the RB depth chart, even before Ryan Torain's elbow injury, and although he is slighter shorter than Selvin Young, he is also faster, at effectively the same weight.

Looking back at the 2007 comparison between Young and Hall, Andre Hall saw limited action but had a solid start versus Chicago (26 carries for 98 yards and 1 TD), while Selvin Young did most of his damage in two starts against Kansas City (37 carries for 256 yards).

Essentially, both backs showed pretty much the same potential and ended up with a yards-per-carry of around five. As for Eddie Royal, as you may have heard, the precocious and speedy rookie has been sensational in training camp and has been promoted to starter. Rookie receivers are risky, but even if he catches a few long TD rockets from Jay Cutler this year, he is worth a 16th-round pick.

Other Possible Sleepers

QB-Donovan McNabb, Matt Schaub, David Garrard, Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers
RB-Michael Turner, Darren McFadden, Ray Rice, DeAngelo Williams
WR-Calvin Johnson, Lee Evans, Dwayne Bowe, Robert Meachem
TE-Heath Miller, Greg Olsen, Dustin Keller, Ben Utecht

Rudi Johnson RB

There are a bunch of reasons to avoid picking Rudi Johnson in your fantasy draft this year. For one thing, when he wasn't injured last season, he looked like he was running in clogs and dragging a half-cord of firewood. In fact, Johnson has been steadily regressing since 2005, with his yards per carry dropping from 4.3 to 3.8 to 2.9 in 2007.

Also note that he has already been struggling with a hamstring problem in training camp this year. So what are the chances that the 2005 version of Rudi Johnson re-emerges this year?

While you are contemplating that, it may also be time to start considering the prospects of Chris Perry and Kenny Watson, who have looked pretty good in training camp, and can be acquired in fantasy drafts in much later rounds.

Jeremy Shockey ,TE

Jeremy Shockey used to be a pretty good football player, and still has the potential to get there again. However, somewhere down the line, Shockey turned into an underachieving whiner, and of course, the only thing worse than an underachieving whiner is an underachieving whiner that spends 25 percent of the season on the sideline with assorted injuries.

That was Shockey's 2007 season in a nutshell, and while it is possible that he enjoys a resurgence over in New Orleans, note that he is still recovering from fractured leg and ankle injuries, plus a new hamstring problem.

With so many good TE options out there for fantasy purposes this year, it makes little sense to take Shockey in his current draft position around the seventh round, when you could get emerging young players like Heath Miller or Tony Sheffler in the 10th round.

Julius Jones RB

When Julius Jones was signed this offseason, the city of Seattle collectively put down their Venti Peppermint Mocha Java Frappuccinos to applaud the apparent transition of the Seahawks running-game from battle-weary and lumbering Shaun Alexander to the shiny, new, former Cowboy. Well, "Not so fast," said Coach Holgrem, "I'm not so sure I trust the running back we just signed for $12 million to be an every-down starter, I am sensing this could be a good situation for some platoonery."

Ummm, ok, makes sense. It is, of course, subject to change, but basically "platoonery" is the operative word that describes the Seahawks' RB situation right now, as Seattle will apparently deploy both Julius Jones and Maurice Morris on a relatively equal basis.

This immediately makes Jones a risky pick in your fantasy draft at his current draft position (fifth-sixth round). Certainly, if he struggles through another 600-yard, two-TD season like he did in 2007 with Dallas, his draft value is probably equivalent to about an eighth or ninth rounder.

Other Possible Creepers

QB- Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, Matt Leinart, JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia
RB-Fred Taylor, Warrick Dunn, Selvin Young, Deuce McAllister
WR- Marvin Harrison, Reggie Brown, Derrick Mason, Javon Walker
TE-Chris Baker, Desmond Clark, Eric Johnson, Mercedes Lewis

Fantasy Football News Bleeps: Aug. 11

Junkyard Jake — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:16:00 -0400

Fantasy Football News Bleeps
Interesting news items from around the NFL...

Updated Aug. 11, 2008 JunkyardJake.Com

Plaxico Burress has not practiced since the Giants opened training camp, and has been receiving treatment for his right ankle. Burress is hoping that the extra time will allow him to open the season at full-speed, in contrast to last year where he played through an ankle injury the entire season. Link

The Dolphins are hoping that Chad Pennington can provide a quick boost to their passing game, while grooming probable future QB Chad Henne. Pennington is already familiar with Dan Henning's offense, as the two worked together with the Jets in 2000. Link

Braylon Edwards will miss an unspecified amount of preseason after requiring stitches for a foot injury that occurred in practice on Saturday. Evidently, Edwards was running a sprint in his socks, when Donte Stallworth accidently stepped on the back of his foot wearing cleats. Link

After dealing with the contract drama, the Packers are now hoping that Ryan Grant can quickly overcome the minor hamstring problems that have been preventing him from practicing. The injury is considered minor, but Grant has been unable to run for the past couple days. Greg Jennings has also been hampered with a knee injury in Packers camp. Link

Titans rookie RB Chris Johnson continues to impress this summer, as he was a key contributor in the exhibition win over the Rams, finishing with 6 carries, 77 yards and a TD. His TD run was from 66 yards out, demonstrating his big-play potential. Link

Anquan Boldin returned to practice for the first time since late July. Boldin has been taking it slow after experiencing a minor hamstring strain, but doesn't expect the injury to keep him from missing any regular season time. Link

After losing QB Charlie Batch this week to a broken collarbone, the Steelers signed former Jaguar and Atlanta Falcon QB Byron Leftwich to handle backup duties. Batch is expected to miss at least 6 weeks with his collarbone injury. Link

Matt Ryan is considered the QB of the future for the Atlanta Falcons, but that future may be arriving sooner than anyone thought if he continues to outplay incumbent starter Chris Redman like he did in this weeks exhibition game against Jacksonville. Ryan shined with a 9 for 15, 115 yard, 1 TD performance, while Redman had 3 completions for 13 yards and one INT. Link

Much like the former Falcon coaching staff, the new regime under head coach Mike Smith has been singing the praises of RB Jerious Norwood and vowing to give him a more prominent role in the offense. We can believe it when we see it, but word is that Norwood may even be used as a wide receiver. Link

The Eagle passing game may have a new dynamic weapon in rookie WR DeSean Jackson, who saw his first significant game action this week, and came through with a decent five catch, 51-yard outing. Blessed with game-breaking speed, Jackson was considered by many to be the top receiver in the 2008 draft. Link

Although Tatum Bell is still technically the starting RB in Detriot, Kevin Smith was the slightly better RB in Detroits first preseason game, and has started to see increased first-team action. Bell had eight yards on seven carries to Smith's 22 yards on eight carries. Link

Rookie WR Eddie Royal has been a star at Broncos training camp, and has at least temporarily passed veteran Darrell Jackson on the depth chart to assume the role as the No. 2 receiver opposite Brandon Marshall. Link

Expectations are high for newly signed WR Bryant Johnson this year, but the Forty-Niners were without their potential No. 1 receiver in their preseason opener, and he remains questionable for their next game on Aug. 16 with a lingering hamstring injury. Link

Ryan Torain will likely miss three months after undergoing elbow surgery this week, elavating Andre Hall and possibly Anthony Alridge into more prominent roles in the Broncos RB rotation. Selvin Young remains the favorite to start at tailback for the Broncos. Link

The Seahawks plan to use both Julius Jones and Maurice Morris in an RB rotation this season, but Morris (six carries for 62 yards) significantly outplayed Jones (four carries for 15 yards) in Seattle's first exhibition game. Jones gets a chance to redeem himself when he gets the start in the second preseason game vs. Chicago. Link

With Tampa Bay's leading receiver Joey Galloway sidelined with a groin injury, Antonio Bryant was given a chance to show what he could do after sitting out the entire 2007 season. Bryant was decent in limited action, making some tough catches in traffic, and finishing with 20 yards. Link

The Patriots are hoping that third-year wideout Chad Jackson might finally live up to his potential this year, but his inauspicious performance in the first preseason game didn't create much reason for optimism. Jackson, who is competing with Jabar Gaffney for a No. 3 WR spot, had one catch for zero yards and a drop. Link

Aside from some minor injuries, Ronald Curry and Drew Carter have both had good training camps, and are considered 'co-starters' opposite Javon Walker in the early going. Walker, in contrast, has not had a great camp, so he remains a risky pick in fantasy drafts. Link

Early reports on Rudi Johnson described a player that was somewhat revitalized after a lost season in 2007, but over the past week he has missed time with a hamstring injury. Johnson remains a risky pick in fantasy drafts this year, and Kenny Watson remains very much fantasy-relevant as his top backup. Link

After Robert Meachem's 129 yard 1 TD preseason showing against the Cardinals, Devery Henderson's No. 3 wide receiver spot for the Saints has to be considered in jeopardy. In fact, Henderson has just returned to practice after sitting with a hamstring injury, and could be in danger of being cut if he does not show something soon. Link

Fantasy Football Sleepers: July 2008

Junkyard Jake — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:19:11 -0400

Vince Young/Alge Crumpler/Chris Johnson

QB/TE/RB, Tennessee Titans

After chucking up 17 interceptions to go along with only nine passing TDs, Vince Young is understandably getting ignored until about the 11th round in fantasy drafts so far. While you may not want to trust him as your starter, he definitely should be useful as the type of backup that could offer surprising upside.

One reason for optimism is the return of coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, who should allow Young to pass more often, and implement plays to utilize the QB's great improvisational running skills.

Joining Young as a bounce-back candidate is Alge Crumpler, who is also being drafted in the 11th round. So far, the knee problems that plagued him over the past few seasons do not appear to be an issue, and he is once again in an offense that likes to employ a pass-catching TE.

Lastly, don't forget about Chris Johnson, the ultra-speedy RB drafted in the first round this year. Johnson may be the fastest offensive player in the league right now, and although his small stature precludes his use as an every-down RB, he should find a significant role on third downs, and perhaps as an occasional wide receiver.

Randy McMichael

TE, St. Louis Rams

Hey, do you remember Randy McMichael? Yeah, didn't think so. A 39-catch season will get you kicked off a lot of cheat sheets. McMichael is not the fastest, flashiest tight end, but his frequent use as an extra offensive lineman last season really destroyed his fantasy value.

In 2008, things are not looking quite as dismal for McMichael. For one thing, the Rams hired Al Saunders to run the offense, and judging by the scheme he used to make stars of Tony Gonzalez and Chris Cooley when he was with the Chiefs and Redskins, McMichael should be far more involved in the passing offense this year.

Also on the positive front, the Rams signed Anthony "Brick Hands" Becht this offseason, and as his nickname, which I just made up, implies, he is expected to relieve McMichael of some of his blocking responsibilities.

McMichael is typically getting picked up in about the 17th round in fantasy drafts this year, so he represents a terrific value if he can bounce back to his estimated potential of about 60-70 catches.

Bryant Johnson/Vernon Davis

WR/TE, San Francisco 49ers

Crazy Mike Martz keeps on getting hired by NFL teams for some reason. This season, "the most overrated show on turf" experiment can be observed in San Francisco, where Martz will be hopefully helping the 49ers to score more than 10 points per game.

For fantasy purposes, it's difficult to see how Martz's unique brand of passing-game anarchy can make anything much worse for a 49ers' passing game that ranked definitively last (168 yards per game) in 2007.

Of course, winning football games is a different issue altogether, but Martz will have the ball flying around, for better or worse.

This bodes well for newly signed Bryant Johnson, who should emerge as San Francisco's top wide-receiver target. Johnson does not have the speed of some of the other receivers that Martz has worked with, like Torry Holt and Roy Williams, but he is talented enough to end up with 1,000 yards and maybe six to eight TDs. This makes him a great pick around the 11th round.

Vernon Davis is a more intriguing case because he is probably the most physically talented TE in the league. Besides dealing with Alex Smith's errant throws, Davis's problem has been grasping the mental aspects of the game, but if gets his head on straight and plays to his potential, Davis is easily worth his current eighth-round draft position.

Kevin Smith/Tatum Bell

RB, Detriot Lions

The most significant development for the Detroit Lions' offense this season will probably be a return to a reasonable run/pass play-selection ratio, with new coordinator Jim Coletto bringing a zone-blocking scheme that will emphasize the run.

Last year under Mike Martz, Jon Kitna was the focal point of the offense, passing almost 70 percent of the time and absorbing a pretty good butt-kicking in the process (a league-high 51 sacks).

Clearly, anything that takes the ball out of Kitna's hands more often will be a welcome change for everyone involved. On the basis of playing opportunity, RB Kevin Smith appears to be the rookie in the best position to benefit from his team's situation in 2008.

Smith is a natural runner, with good vision and acceleration, but does not appear to be an elite talent. For example, his timed speed of around 4.50 is fairly average, and although he has decent size, he does not have the prototypical bulk you would want to see in a power running back.

That said, he did run roughshod over inferior college defenses for Central Florida of Conference USA, especially in 2007 when his 450 carries broke the NCAA single-season mark formerly held by Marcus Allen.

He ended last season with an amazing 2,567 yards, second only to Barry Sanders in NCAA history, to go along with 29 TDs, and 242 receiving yards.

Whether or not Kevin Smith is the complete answer for the Lions' revived running game, it is very possible that Tatum Bell assumes at least a visible role, and possibly more.

Bell was banished to obscurity last season, but he offers better speed over Smith, and a measure of veteran leadership. Kevin Smith is being taken in the late sixth round, while Tatum Bell is typically available around the 12th round in fantasy drafts so far.

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