3. Tad Chilley-Beres

“Ian Teal” cracks the top 3 in hopes of salvaging a dismal year in basketball and baseball.  He hopes to put the last 2 events behind him, much like the last 2 trips to the pony.  Other than that, Teal had a pretty successful weekend, winning the poker tourney, the golf match, the interception game on the beach and scoring a top 3 ranking in the 2009 Fools Fantasy Football League. 

Draft Recap:

Quinton 1. (6) Matt Forte 2. (15) Chris Johnson 3. (26) Clinton Portis 4. (35) Tony Romo 5. (46) T.J. Houshmandzadeh 6. (55) Braylon Edwards 7. (66) Hines Ward 8. (75) Kellen Winslow 9. (86) Ben Roethlisberger 10. (95) Pittsburgh 11. (106) Justin Gage 12. (115) Jason Campbell 13. (126) Laurence Maroney 14. (135) Rob Bironas 15. (146) Jeremy Maclin 16. (155) Nate Burleson 17. (166) Matt Moore

Roster:

QB’s:  Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Jason Campbell

RB’s:  Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Clinton Portis, Laurence Maroney

WR’s:  T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Braylon Edwards, Hines Ward, Justin Gage, Jeremy Maclin, Nate Burleson

TE’s:  Kellen Winslow

DEF:  Pittsburgh

Quarterbacks:

                Both Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger are interesting picks.  Neither is probably as big as their name in terms of fantasy production but both quarterbacks play for winning teams that are in scoring situations frequently, giving both QB’s a bunch of opportunities for TD passes in the red-zone.  The downside is that both teams have sensational running games, however they use it tremendously well to set up the pass.  Also, as good as the Cowboys’ running game has become, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, a former QB himself, still loves to throw the football and will definitely allow Romo to throw the ball with regularity from week to week.  The loss of Owens could actually benefit the passing game, with Romo throwing freely to open targets and not have to worry about somebody crying because they haven’t been thrown to in the past few plays.  Jason Campbell is a mediocre yet capable starter on the bench.

Running backs:

                The big strength of the Teal’s team lies at the running back position.  Ian landed 2 monster running backs with his top 2 picks with Matt Forte and Chris Johnson at #6 and #15 overall.  Although not quite on the same elite level, Teal also got a solidified starter in Clinton Portis with the #26 overall pick.  The Redskins love to run the football and Portis had the 3^rd most rushing attempts last year behind A.P. and Michael Turner.  With a year of experience behind Matt Ryan, and the Vikings addition of Brett Favre, it’s highly possible that Portis could lead the NFL in attempts this year, escalating his fantasy value.  Although he’s not used an awful lot out of the backfield, both Forte and Johnson are heavily involved in the passing game, adding significant value to their resume.  The only negative here is LenDale White’s vulture goal-line carries, but Johnson usually is capable of making a few explosive, long runs a game to make up for it.  Any Patriots back on the field has good value, but between Maroney, Taylor, Faulk and Sammy Morris it’s hard to envision any one of them getting enough playing time to be a real fantasy force. 

Wide receivers:

                Teal really got great value on his wide receivers.  He’s got 2 stud receivers and another solid starting option and didn’t use a pick in the top 4 rounds to get one.  T.J. Houshmanzadeh has a chance to lead the league in receiving and is without a doubt the most underrated receiver in the NFL, playing behind the mouthy Ochocinco for the last few years.  Housh has caught more balls than any other WR in the last 3 years combined, and finds himself in a great situation in Seattle as the go-to-guy.  When you look at the Browns roster, it’s hard to imagine Braylon Edwards not getting over 10 looks every game.  Similar to the situation in Carolina, the Browns have 1 real playmaker at WR and the rest of the core is adequate at best.  I’m sure a lot of teams will try to take him a way, but look for the Browns to run a lot of sets and formations to get him open and get him the ball.  He’s also a big, athletic receiver and is a prolific target in the red-zone, although I’m not too sure how often the Browns will get there.  Hines Ward is old but reliable and is an excellent 3^rd down receiver who Big Ben constantly looks to for those tough catches to move the chains.  Justin Gage is one of Kerry Collins’ favorite targets and as their #1 he’s the best option in the Titans passing game.  Although he won’t be counted on often, when the Titans have a rare passing explosion (0 games over 300 passing yards and only 4 games over 200 yards last year) Gage should be on the recipient end of quite a few passes. 

The Rest:

                Kellen Winslow is a tremendous talent and should see a lot of action in Tampa Bay.  Antonio Bryant is the only other proven option in the passing game and Winslow is also a big threat in the red-zone.  The Bucs should be a run-heavy team but the strong-armed Leftwich is sure to take some shots down field, as well as the short-intermediate routes in which the soldier will be the primary target.  The Pittsburgh defense is always one of the league’s best, and that should be the same case this season.  Last year, they led the league in points allowed and led all defenses in total points. 

Ratings:

Quarterbacks:      B             88

Running backs:    A             96

Wide receivers:     B             88

Tight end:              B             89

Defense                 A+           N/A        

Overall:                  B+           90

Season Outlook:

                The core of the Teal franchise is about as solid as you can get.  The depth is a little suspect and could get into a bit of trouble as bye weeks pick up.  Winslow needs to play up to his potential and the running backs need to live up to their high expectations.  Because of the lack of depth, injuries would really deplete this team and cause a major collapse down the standings, but starting out it looks like the Teal could be in for a prime run for his first, elusive fools ring.