Fantasy Football's 10 Biggest Surprises

GM of the Year — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:55:16 -0500

As always, the NFL is full of surprises. Every season offers new twists and turns that were impossible to see until the events actually unfold. As the NFL season turns, fantasy football turns right along with it.

Weather you have a $20 office league or a $500 big league, I think you you'll agree that, to this point in the season, these have been some significant surprises.

10. The poor play of Steven Jackson. Taken very highly in most drafts (usually pick No. 7-9), owners of Jackson thought they were getting very elite talent at their running back spot, only to discover the horror that is his '08-'09 season. Did his lengthy holdout prior to the season have anything to do with this?

Perhaps it may have.

To date Jackson has very mediocre fantasy numbers and finds himself among Mewelde Moore and Tim Hightower in fantasy earnings.

9. The return of the back formerly know as Thomas Jones. With Favre running the show and providing a legit passing threat for the Jets, the field has opened up for Jones. He has not looked this good since his days in Chicago. In fact, I thought that guy was dead; however, Favre's presence has been more than enough to resurrect this guy as a fantasy option.

Currently, Jones is the seventh-best running back option ahead of other prominent names like Brian Westbrook, Maurice Jones-Drew, LaDanian Tomlinson, Brandon Jacobs, and the aforementioned Steven Jackson.

8. The play of Aaron Rodgers. Most say this is a surprise to them, so I took that into consideration; although, to me, it should be no surprise at all. The guy sat behind a legend for three seasons. He gained priceless knowledge from watching Favre every game, and yet this is still considered a surprise.

Rodgers was drafted very late in most drafts (round 10-12) as a serviceable backup. Well, as it stands today, Rodgers is the fifth best QB fantasy option in the game, ahead of McNabb, Roethlisberger, Favre, not to mention both Mannings as well.

7. The emergence of Roddy White. We have a team that only a year ago was in ruin. Atlanta seemingly had no where to go and no promise for the future after the Vick debacle and Petrino up and quit the team.

Enter Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and one Roddy White. The Falcons have done a 180-degree turnaround, and White is a huge part of that. He is one of the fourth-most elite wide receivers in the league and pays back fantasy owners who took a gamble on him, almost every week.

6. The absence of a T.O. meltdown, despite his poor fantasy output...Yes, fortunately we have not seen Owens go off this year and have a nuclear meltdown. No helicopters or shirtless sit ups in the driveway so far. And Lord knows the guy has had plenty of reasons to relapse and have an episode.

Hell, in fantasy, he is among receivers like Vincent Jackson and Lance Moore. But to Owens' credit, he has kept himself in check very nicely, despite being the 22 wide receiver in the league, fantasy-wise.

Dare we say that Owens has matured? Nah, too early for that, we better wait until the season is officially over (or at least until the Cowboys are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs).

5. The fact that Forte brings instant credibility to a once poor Chicago offense. One man has changed the offensive landscape for the Bears; that gentleman is Matt Forte.

Right now he is the BEST fantasy option at running back (No. 1) to have in the entire league. His value is even higher because he not only has 713 yards on the ground but because the guy also has 37 receptions for 282 yards to go with that.

Forte is a beast, bottom line, and not many picked him up until the later rounds as well. He is the steal of the draft, no doubt.

4. Only a rookie who has his team currently unbeaten, he is Chris Johnson. What else can you say about this kid? He has come in to the league and found himself on an undefeated squad. He is the lightning to LeDale's thunder, and together, they have made "the perfect storm."

When I say perfect, I mean perfect as in no losses to date. How long before the clouds clear and the perfect storm gives way...Who knows if we'll ever see that Mr. Sun again? (My vote for rookie of the year) Johnson is the 11th best running back in fantasy right now.

3. The fountain of youth found by one Kurt Warner. This guy has come from out of nowhere to lead the best wide receiving corps in all of football. They help him, he helps them. Warner has posted some very sick fantasy numbers this year (my vote for MVP).

Most owners took a flyer on the guy thinking that he would be a decent back up if needed but the guy has just been tearing it up in Fantasy every week. He's the third highest scorer in all of Fantasy only behind Philip Rivers and Drew Brees very slightly. The Greatest Show on Turf part two???

2. Anquan Freaking Boldin. Searching for a trade earlier this season, Boldin would later discover that Arizona is the best possible situation for him all the way around. He has no pressure of being the man. No super heavy contract to weigh him down. He has out right blown up into the league's BEST wide receiver option even after being OUT FOR TWO GAMES.

And oh yeah, he leads the league in touchdowns. Arizona is the best place for you Boldin, stay there if you know what's good for you and your Fantasy stats. Plus the that division is so week with no signs of getting better the Cardinals could dominate that for years.

1. The No. 1biggest surprise of this fantasy season is...no Brady. Terrific Tom went down in Week One, breaking the hearts of owners every where. It affected this fantasy season immensely. Brady owners were crushed. Moss owners were devastated. Welker owners had lost hope.

Brady was the moon in the universe that is fantasy football. He affected the tides in the oceans on planet NFL. This entire fantasy season's mishaps can be pinned on Tom Brady in one way or another.

Just imagine me telling you, before the draft, that in Week 10, Brady would have only one stinking point in fantasy. You'd laugh as if I told you they had gotten beaten by the Giants in the Super Bowl...Well, laugh it up.

Holla.

- GM of the Year

Better Scrambler; McNabb, Cunningham Or The EGG?

GM of the Year — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:41:21 -0500

You know as the GM was checking out last night’s Sunday Night Football game between the G-Unit and the Eagles something struck me…I noticed something from my childhood resurface, what was it? It was the wings. Yes the wings on the helmet of Philly players. These wings stand out in my mind due to one man, Randall Cunningham.

As my mind started to drift back to the better days of a misspent youth, I started to see the flashes of a young and exuberant Randall Cunningham, one of the pioneers of good African American scrambling QB’s. So as I saw the replays in my head I had to ask myself, If I were an Eagles fan (which I’m not) which of the two would I choose in a conference championship game to lead Philly to the Super Bowl, Cunningham or McNabb?

Both quarterbacks are very similar yet they both clearly define different eras in Eagle history. So Cunningham vs. McNabb? That is a tough one. So I decided to take these two quarterbacks at the height of their careers and see how they compared.

Let’s start with McNabb. In his best season to date (2004) his sixth year, McNabb posted a QB rating of 104.7 as he led the Eagles to a 13-3 regular season record. Over the season McNabb racked up 3,875 yards with his arm and 220 yards on the ground with his feet.

In McNabb’s best year on the ground (2000) he rushed for 629 yards. The year of 2004 saw McNabb throw 31 TD’s and 8 int’s. McNabb completed 300 of 469 attempts that year. (Also note worthy; this is the year that McNabb led Philly to the Super Bowl in a losing effort as they fell 3 points short to NE that year.)

As for Cunningham, the scrambling pioneer, his best season was 1990. At that time he ALSO was in his sixth year for the Eagles. His passer rating that year was a good bit under McNabb’s as he posted a 91.6 on the year. He threw for 3,466 yards (Yes that is 409 less than McNabb) and along the way he accumulated 30 TD’s and 13 Int’s.

McNabb had one more TD and five less int’s. The mind blowing stat for me though was this; in that same year where Cunningham posted his best QB numbers (as an Eagle) he flat out killed it on the ground. The guy rushed for 942 yards, simply amazing. Sadly, the Eagles would finish 2nd in the division in 1990, losing to the Redskins 20–6 in the wild card game.

In conclusion, McNabb has led Philly further with his Super Bowl loss than Cunningham ever had. At best, Cunningham was only able to make Philly division champs once to McNabb’s five division titles.

Overall, McNabb has thrown more TD’s with fewer interceptions than Cunningham. However, Cunningham remains the better rusher while pioneering a modern era revolution at the QB position. It’s also worth noting that BOTH guys rushing abilities took drastic dives after some time in the league (five years for Donovan, seven for Randall).

Randall also posted six seasons were he rushed for over at least 500 yards, McNabb has done that only once. McNabb is the better passer, while Cunningham was the better rusher with a greater threat to break the pocket. In the end, McNabb is a better winner. Sorry Randall…I still have the memories. Man you were good! Holla.

-GM of the Year

Written November 10, 2008

Bleacher Report - Articles by GM of the Year

Fantasy Football's 10 Biggest Surprises

Better Scrambler; McNabb, Cunningham Or The EGG?