November 20, 2008
Rotoworld has been pumping up Nmandi Asomugha as the best cornerback in football since Tyler Thigpen was a twinkle in Herm Edwards' eye. It appears Mike Shanahan shares our passion:
He's the most underrated top player in the game -- I can't say the history of the game because I haven't been around here that long -- but I can say in my 25 years, he is by far the most underrated player. I've never met him but I'm going to shake his hand after the game because I keep on looking for him but I never get a chance to talk to him. He's one of my favorite players, even though he is with the Raiders. That shows you how much I like him.
Continue reading "Mike Shanahan: Welcome to the Nmandi fan club" »
October 24, 2008
For one game, Darren McFadden owners thought they had the next Adrian Peterson. Then turf toe happened. Since Sept 14, has carried the ball 37 times for 131 yards in four games. He's added 73 yards receiving. That's a little less fantasy production than Fred Jackson, and a little more than Leon Washington. Turf toe has turned one of the most dynamic running back prospects of the last decade into a third-down back that only desperate fantasy owners would turn to in a bye week.
It's too early to give up on McFadden for the season. He had his two best plays in a month against the Jets: a 15-yard run and a 25-yard catch. That's the good news. The bad news is that the Oakland Tribune suggests that his toe could be getting worse, not better. Justin Fargas is clearly Oakland's lead back, at least until he gets hurt again. The Raiders schedule looks favorable down the stretch, but it's fair for McFadden owners to wonder if we are going to see the real DMac in 2008. During a season where every rookie running back from Forte to Slaton to Benjarvus looks great, the most heralded one of them all is quickly being forgotten.
October 08, 2008
Wednesday is hump day, the day we move on from talking about last week, and start looking ahead. Well, really, I begin my Week 6 prep with the Season Pass rankings on Tuesday.
Anyhow, one of my random responsibilities of the week is a list of five good borderline or sleeper plays for an NBC press release touting Sunday Night Football. Here it is below, with a freebie thrown in:
1. Chad Pennington @ Texans: With a strong running game at his back, Pennington can pick on single coverage over the middle from a weak Houston secondary.
2. Kyle Orton @ Falcons: Atlanta's defense has overachieved, but the secondary is terrible and Orton is playing the best ball of his life.
3. Steve Slaton @ Dolphins: This will be Slaton's last time on a "sleeper" list. The versatile talent is now an every-week fantasy starter.
Continue reading "Looking ahead" »
October 01, 2008
I've watched a lot of press conferences, but Al Davis' anti-Kiffin Tuesday jaw-dropper was easily my favorite. I was wrapping up our Season Pass rankings and just couldn't take my attention away. Al Davis is perhaps the important living member of football's history: A Hall of Famer, former AFL commisioner, coach of the year, and longtime owner/GM. He's become a punchline in recent years, but I echo Mike Florio's thoughts: Davis certainly hasn't lost his fastball, and he still deserves respect.
A few thoughts:
1. Tom Cable is a commanding presence. He is going to join Joe Vitt in the interim head coach presser Hall of Fame.
2. Davis made fun of Kiffin for treating JaMarcus Russell with kid gloves, accusing him of running a Woody Hayes offense. Davis hinted that the team threw more against the Chargers because Greg Knapp was calling half the plays. Knapp ran a run-heavy offense in Atlanta and it was balanced, but also run-heavy, in San Francisco. Still, it doesn't seem like a bad thing for Russell to get rid of a head coach that never wanted him in the first place.
3. Kiffin did well throughout this whole fiasco, but his lying about wanting the Arkansas job and suspending a coach earlier this year, then telling him to go to a doctor to lie about the reason for his absence, hurts his image. I also wonder how the Bucs feel that Monte Kiffin tried to leave this offseason.
Continue reading "Davis still has his fastball" »
September 26, 2008
Four matchup previews with Tiffany below, including Raiders/Chargers.
The Sunday Night Preview is after the jump. I know there will be a lot of questions about Westbrook. I doubt he'll play, but you never know. I would only wait for him if you have a capable option (Correll Buckhalter) to replace him in the late games.
Continue reading "Fix time" »
September 18, 2008
Michael Bush is a fine pickup. A good, not great, lottery ticket with a decent chance to start some games this season. Just don't expect him to put up numbers this week if he gets a chance. The Bills rush defense has been shockingly good, stonewalling the Seahawks and Jaguars. Bush put up solid numbers late against the Chiefs and he has good feet for a big man. But he also lumbers down the field, and doesn't always run like a true power back, rarely getting many yards after contact.
I expect Darren McFadden to start this game anyhow, although it's far from certain. It will be interesting to see how he fares against the Bills and if he has canyon-sized lanes to run through again. Former Rotoworld writer Bill Barnwell noted on ESPN.com that McFadden was quite boom-or-bust in Week 2, not that fantasy owners cared. They will care if the booms are reduced against a quality defense this weekend.
September 15, 2008
It's a lot more fascinating to read about dysfunction than it is to read about mediocrity. Give hme a 3-13 implosion to follow anytime over a 7-9 team. That's why I was eager to check out the articles in Kansas City and Oakland today. They didn't disappoint.
Jerry McDonald, one of the absolute best, shows how Lane Kiffin simply doesn't care what anyone thinks about him. A true maverick!
Nancy Gay of the Chronicle believes that Rob Ryan is the next Raiders head coach, and details the deep divide in the locker room and how Al Davis ordered Ryan's tirade last week.
And the Raiders actually won Sunday! Dueling Kansas City columnists Whitlock and Posnanski are fittingly apoplectic about the Chiefs. 90% of Kansas City readers believe they are the worst team in football. Larry Johnson wants out. Carl Peterson could finally be at the end of the road.
August 07, 2008
Check around your favorite team's official website this week and you'll see a new page up: Depth Charts! Teams are required to give their first depth charts of the season before their first preseason game - this week. These are fun to look at, but the coaches plead with us not to take them seriously. Sometimes, they are ridiculous. Like the Falcons putting Matt Ryan fourth at quarterback. Sometimes, coaches use them as motivational tools.
Whatever the reason, there are always a few eye openers. Here were the ones that caught my eye this week:
Continue reading "Depth Chart Shenanigans" »
July 25, 2008
Javon Walker's jaw and orbital bone look just fine, thank you very much. We aren't saying the police report detailing Walker's injuries was wrong, but those injuries don't appear too severe. Walker is practicing once a day at Raiders camp, but that's presumably because of his knee. There are many other reasons to avoid Walker this season, but his assault in Las Vegas now looks low on the list.
Continue reading "Javon Walker ready to play" »
June 17, 2008
An important Chris Cooley/Jason Campbell interview, that includes this exchange: "Rabach has even farted on my hand which is a feelin that never really wears off. I can actually feel it while we’re doing this interview right now."
A nuanced take on the LeCharles Bentley saga from the dean of Cleveland sports, Terry Pluto. He also has some interesting bits on Brady Quinn's improvement.
A nice summation of the Bengals roster.
More from Earnest Graham: He showed up in good shape, but won't guarantee that he will be to training camp on time. And he recognizes that he's not a lock to start.
Mike Lombardi's enlightening new blog talks about Javon Walker, with good inside information.
June 16, 2008
Scary news, as he was found unconscious in Las Vegas, with an orbital bone (eye area) fracture. In what promises to be a quiet month for news, I'm expecting to hear a lot of twists and turns following this story.
April 29, 2008
I ranked all rookies for dynasty leagues today, and there were a lot of tough decisions. Darren McFadden over Jonathan Stewart is not a slam dunk, and I'd take Stewart over McFadden for 2008.
That leads me to my projections for the Raiders. They were among the league leaders last year with 445 carries. I'm going to project about 430 this season. How would you divide them up?
Continue reading "How much will McFadden get the ball?" »
April 28, 2008
It looks like Dominic Rhodes, not LaMont Jordan, will be walking the plant in Oakland. Jordan survives, at least for now. Any foolish souls like myself holding out hope Jordan will have a career revival should pray he gets released this summer. There are too many bodies in front of him in Oakland.
April 03, 2008
If Sam Farmer wasn't such a well respected name in the journalism, this story about Favre returning would be easier to ignore. Okay, it still seems a little far-fetched. But the editors at NBC asked me to come up with five teams who would be interested in Favre if he returned. So what if it's all in fun and none of it is particularly likely to happen. It's April!
Continue reading "Favre story creates stir" »
April 01, 2008
On-record draft talk by NFL coaches should be taken with an ocean's worth of salt. With that said, Lane Kiffin's comments Tuesday about Darren McFadden are spot on: They don't have a need at running back.
Justin Fargas, Dominic Rhodes, and Michael Bush represent a significant investment at running back. Practically the only thing Oakland did well last year was run block and churn up yards on the ground. They have much bigger needs.
There are reports that Oakland's number four pick will be for sale, but it's unlikely anyone will want to move up that high. Kiffin's comment could be seen as another chapter in the coaches squabble with Al Davis (Davis is rumored to love McFadden), but he's telling the truth. That doesn't mean Davis will listen.
My first tough to rank post about Lee Evans was a rousing success, with most of you skeptical that Evans will rise above WR2/3 inconsistency. He was compared to Chris Chambers, Deion Branch, and Andre Johnson, with most responses indicating Fantasy Nation will be down on him going into 2008.
Today we'll look at Javon Walker, although I'm asking for commenters to take an extra step: Give Walker (and future players) a rough position rank: WR20, 35, etc. I'll let you know the averaged results.
Continue reading "Tough to Rank: Javon Walker" »
March 10, 2008
Mock Drafts aren't usually built on original thought. They primarily look at other Mock Drafts, switch some names, teams, and needs around, and go from there. Even draftniks who spend the college season following the players tend to have similar rankings because they read each other, but don't know what NFL scouts are seeing or saying.
I've been sold on Mike Mayock's mock drafts since 2005, when he had Aaron Rodgers falling all the way to number 25 to the Packers. It's not just that he nailed a pick absolutely no one saw coming, it's that he had the confidence and research to make his own decision instead of following the masses. His pipeline to NFL teams probably doesn't hurt. He revealed his first top-ten Mock picks last week and there were a few stunners that should be taken seriously. Let's take a look ...
Continue reading "Mayock's Top Ten" »
March 05, 2008
Tommy Kelly looks like a bargain now. Javon Walker's six-year, $55 million contract, with $27 million available in the first three years, was onerous in so many ways. It's the single most shocking contract I've seen in the last five years. NFL.com's wire report agrees, saying, calling it the "single-most stunning free-agent contract this off-season -- maybe ever." Let's count the reasons why.
Continue reading "Worst Contract Ever?" »
March 03, 2008
1. LaMont Jordan: What are the Raiders waiting for? If they don’t release him soon, it looks like they are considering keeping Jordan until the NFL Draft. If they don’t draft someone at the position, he has an outside chance to stick at a reduced price.
2. Shaun Alexander: If T.J. Duckett signs, the Seahawks will be in position to cut Alexander should they use a first-round pick at running back. Just a thought.
***
It's also worth noting that Ricky Williams, Rudi Johnson, and Edgerrin James are all safely on their '07 roster.
February 29, 2008
I would have liked Jerry Porter a lot more in 2008 if he didn't sign with Jacksonville. He fits their mold as a physical receiver who can block and excel in the run game, but he's unlikely to run up stats in a spread-the-wealth offense.
Porter made a lot of tough grabs last year despite playing on a miserable passing game, and he's a capable starter. In Jacksonville, he's their nominal "number one." But the Jaguars have finished in the bottom six in pass attempts in successive years and have a few too many rotation options for David Garrard to throw to.
Continue reading "Porter helps Jags, not his fantasy stock" »
February 14, 2008
Yesterday I wrote up a rough draft of my free agency preview of the running back position. Now it's already out of date after Justin Fargas re-uppedwith the Raiders. It was a great move for the Raiders, considering the small investment they made. Zone blocking teams like Houston and Denver may have given Fargas a lot more. Fargas played like a man possessed last year and will go into the next season as the favorite to start over Michael Bush and Dominic Rhodes, assuming Rhodes isn't cut.
I watched some tape on Fargas this week to prepare for the preview and was impressed. You never get cheated out of a Justin Fargas run. Their offense was so basic; he was the team's only threat and handled it well. His pants-on-fire style is perfect for their zone scheme.
Continue reading "Fargas first RB domino to drop" »
December 31, 2007
This is one the key news weeks of the offseason, as we comb through the papers to get indications of where teams will head this offseason before everyone leaves this building. Here are some of interesting nuggets I saw this morning.
* From the Miami Herald, some of the thinking behind Cam Cameron's impending firing:
Continue reading "Offseason starts for 20 teams" »
November 14, 2007
There's something sad about former Vikings teammates openly doubting Daunte Culpepper in the press. It's like they are so confident he can't play, they may as well provide bulletin board material.
We heard similar stories when he was readying to play Miami earlier this year. Maybe they just respect the old Culpepper and miss him. We all do at this point. It looks like Culpepper is going to start this week in Minnesota. Maybe Daunte will get motivated enough to uncork five scores like that Dolphins game.
This Message was once again brought to you by the now delusional partnership for a better Ronald Curry
This sounds like the most depressing winning locker room I've ever heard of. It would be surprising if it wasn't so ... Norv-alicious. It sounds like the players are trying to get their coaches fired, including some of the big names. As a Patriot fan, I want to send my thanks to A.J. Smith for firing Norv Turner.
The most likely scenario for Travis Henry is that he gets suspended after one more game. And there's a chance Henry plays a backseat to Selvin Young Monday night anyway. I won't rank either player in the top-20 if it looks like Henry will play. Albert Haynesworth's status will also make a difference.
Could Dominic Rhodes or LaMont Jordan get whacked this week? It sounds like Jordan may have taken last weekoff because of health reasons, but that may be wishful thinking on my part.
A former Raider great came out of hiding this week. I'm irrationally excited about this news.
November 06, 2007
Pat Dahl knocked out Waiver Wired, but here’s how I’d rank the popular pickups in a lot of leagues this week.
1. Justin Fargas – Who knows how long he can stay healthy, but you can’t ignore his YPC or starting status. I’d definitely take him ahead of Priest Holmes.
2. David Patten – He’s getting the numbers we expected to see from Devery Henderson. The way New Orleans’ passing game is clicking, Patten can keep it up as a legitimate WR3 option the rest of the way.
3. Priest Holmes – I still can’t get over the fact that we’re talking about Priest Holmes again. This is no longer a recommendation for cautious Larry Johnson owners to pick him up as insurance. Priest Holmes will be the first waiver pickup in many leagues this week (even if I disagree), and then he’s going to be in fantasy lineups this Sunday against the hapless Broncos.
I have no clue what’s going to happen.
How can you evaluate a ghost? Holmes wasn’t exactly on the top of his game when he disappeared two years ago and the Kansas City offense has gone downhill since. He’s going to get less carries than LJ was, and probably get fewer yards-per-carry.
Listening to Herm Edwards talk, I think that he’d like Kolby Smith get an equal-or-more share eventually.
4. Michael Robinson – Don’t assume Frank Gore will stay healthy when he returns. If knew Gore was out another week, Robinson might be ahead of LJ.
Continue reading "Waiver Ranks" »
November 05, 2007
LaMont Jordan may have pulled off the fastest, most drastic change in fantasy value I can remember that doesn't include a devastating injury. Let's look at the different stages of Jordan's season.
Preseason: Undervalued RB3/4
Weeks 1-4: Top five every-week starter.
Weeks 5-7: Minor back injury, then lowered production.
Week 8: Splitting carries
Week 9: Justin Fargas' backup!!
Continue reading "Jordan's devolution complete" »
November 01, 2007
Oakland is almost back to where they were last season - no one is an attractive fantasy option.
Houston's defense has fell off after a slow start, but the Raiders are still iffy plays in this game. Ronald Curry is a decent WR3, but isn't fully healthy for this game. Plus he'll draw Dunta Robinson. Jerry Porter is too inconsistent, and the passing game is among the league's worst with Daunte Culpepper at the helm.
I still have hope for LaMont Jordan, but he's certainly at the point where he can be benched in most leagues. LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas will probably split carries, making them decent flex plays than RB2s. Jordan needs to show something this week with the schedule easing up or the coaching staff will lose confidence.
Update: Right as I was posting this, Josh McCown was announced as the team's new starter. He'll make mistakes, but this definitely should help Curry and Porter over the course of the season.
With the exception of Matt Schaub, The Texans are getting healthy in a big way this week.
Ahman Green, Andre Johnson, and Owen Daniels all practice Thursday, and Gary Kubiak was optimistic following the practice. It looks like AJ and Daniels will play, although Kubiak wanted to see how Johnson looks tomorrow. He was even more cautious regarding Green, wanting to see him practice two straight days without knee swelling getting in the way.
Continue reading "Texans getting healthy" »
October 30, 2007
Fargas just won't go away
Patrick Dahl knocked out Waiver Wired today, so I thought I’d give some quick thoughts on the likely pickups this week. Here’s how I’d rank the running backs ...
1. Selvin Young – His receiving ability, in addition to some nifty footwork, could make him special. As a starter, he’s a RB2.
2. Ryan Grant – What a no-nonsense runner. The Packers have wanted him involved all along, and he quickly climbed the depth chart considering he was acquired so recently. Vernand Morency isn’t going to be the starter, and DeShawn Wynn can’t stay healthy. There is better upside here than people think. He could turn out to be a nice RB3.
3. Brian Leonard – Might start again, but has been mediocre.
Continue reading "Waiver Ranks" »
October 23, 2007
The surprising jobshare in Indianapolis will get more attention, but another team may have started to lean committee this weekend. With LaMont Jordan struggling for a second straight week, Dominic Rhodes had nine carries to eleven for Jordan.
Rhodes played the third series of the game, and then the fifth, and a similar pattern continued in the second half. It’s uncertain if Rhodes would have received so much work if Jordan was getting yards. Both players failed to top three yards-per-carry as Oakland’s offensive line struggled for the second straight week.
One of the reasons I like Jordan, especially in PPR leagues, is that he puts up numbers even when he plays poorly. In this game he got 29 rushing yards, four catches, and 40 receiving yards for 10.9 fantasy points. His receiving numbers build in a margin for error, but he’s going to struggle to be a top-15 fantasy option if Rhodes continues to cut into his workload. Let's see how next week goes before drawing any conclusions.
Continue reading "LaMont losing work" »
October 22, 2007
Daunte Culpepper plays just well enough to get the Raiders beat. Most of Sunday, he looked like an inferior option to Josh McCown, which is tough to accomplish. He then exploded for a two-play, 80-yard drive, giving the Raiders hope, before retreating into a shell again.
I do a double-take every week when I look at Daunte Culpepper's stats. They aren't so bad. I've talked about this with Aaron Gleeman, a Culpepper expert; the numbers always end up better than you remember. The box score doesn't show the ball being held too long or all the bad decisions.
The Oakland passing game, to put it nicely, looks basic when Daunte is playing. Teams have stopped respecting the pass, and load the box to stop LaMont Jordan. There are big plays there, but they haven't hit many of them. His mobility isn't close to all the way back. Gleeman said that Culpepper wouldn't be starting if not for his history of success in the league. I agreed, until I thought more about the Oakland depth chart. If the Raiders had options, Culppeper wouldn't be in the starting lineup in the first place.
This message was brought to you by the partnership for a better Ronald Curry
***
Continue reading "Raiders passing game is basic" »
October 15, 2007
LaMont Jordan's surprise start in Oakland didn't get much attention because it happened opposite the Patriots-Dallas game and most fantasy lineups were set. Plus Jordan didn't make owners pay for benching him with 86 total yards on 24 touches, including six catches.
It was surprising that Jordan played despite being listed as doubtful, but it's shocking he had 24 touches, while Justin Fargas had three, and Dominic Rhodes had zero.
Jordan owners should be very encouraged. The Raiders showed a lot of faith in Jordan by refusing to go to a committee despite a serious injury. This was a huge game for them, and they clearly believe Jordan is their best option on the field.
Rhodes owners have to be concerned they have a lemon. He's halfway decent insurance, but it looks like Fargas is ahead of him on the depth chart. And third place on the Oakland depth chart is not exactly a road to fantasy stardom.
September 21, 2007
Josh McCown has surprisingly been a trendy pick in the $100,000 challenge this week, with a matchup against the struggling Browns. The only problem: He may not finish the game.
"You could see them both in a game," coach Lane Kiffin said, referring to Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown.
It certainly would be nice time to introduce Culpepper. Considering Cleveland's play on defense this season, McCown has a good chance for a fast start Sunday. If he doesn't score a touchdown in the first couple series, though, Culpepper could see his first regular season action of the year.
LaMont Jordan's back injury could present a tricky situation for owners. The number one fantasy back in this short season, I can't imagine Jordan would be on many fantasy benches against the Browns.
Lane Kiffin said Thursday that Jordan's status may not be known until gametime, which is not what you want to hear. Jordan has a 4PM start, and some rosters may not allow the flexibility to wait until gametime.
With that said, Jordan participated in a portion of practice Thursday. The invaluable Inside the Raiders wrote that Jordan got a good sweat in and "should be able to face Cleveland."
My guess at this moment is that he'll start. But it would help immensely to get more information before setting my lineups. Keep following the news closely, and hopefully Jordan owners can make a confident decision by Sunday morning.
September 17, 2007
One player I wasn't able to include in The Morning After was LaMont Jordan. If I could hand out "game balls" for all my fantasy teams, Jordan would probably have the most. He was drafted as a RB3 and is performing like a RB1.
Before the season, I wrote about Jordan's four game audition for a primary back role while Dominic Rhodes was suspended. He's exceeded all expectations as the top fantasy back thus far in PPR leagues, including 155 rushing yards Sunday against Denver.
Continue reading "Who needs Dominic Rhodes?" »
August 29, 2007
Scott, one of our most valuable commenters, posted that he thinks Ronald Curry is undervalued. Anyone that's used our cheat sheets this season knows that Rotoworld agrees. There seems to be a point in every one of my drafts that Curry is the highest ranked player on the board.
I decided to check out Curry's ADP, along with the rest of the Raiders because it's clearly a team in transition.
LaMont Jordan: RB35, round seven
Dominic Rhodes: RB48, round twelve
Jerry Porter: WR41, round ten
Ronald Curry: WR46, round twelve
Daunte Culpepper: QB32, fifteenth-round
Continue reading "Value in Oakland" »
August 27, 2007
So Josh McCown is starting Oakland's fourth preseason game. McCown now appears to be the favorite to start in Week 1 unless it's some elaborate trade showcase. But I'm giving up handicapping this quarterback race after getting it wrong every time.
So what do the experts think? The San Francisco Chroncle believes it's a toss up, but that Culpepper could be dealt or released before Week 1. Inside the Raiders seems to think Culpepper is still the favorite, but doesn't really tip their hand.
Continue reading "Kiffin throws curveball" »
August 14, 2007
Plenty of goodies Tuesday from the indispensable Raiders blog with Jerry McDonal | | |
