Best Player:

This one was tough, because with so many amazingly talented players on the Saints this season (cough, cough), I had to narrow it down to just one. The top two choices were quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Marques Colston. After much debate, I decided to go with my man Drew. Since arriving in New Orleans, Drew has been lights out, leading the entire league in passing in 2006 and finishing second last season.  I certainly don't see any signs of slowing down this season, especially now with Jeremy Shockey as a great target in the red zone. Brees could very well be the best quarterback in the NFC, if not the entire league. Draft him!!

Best Sleeper:

While he is a first round draft pick, and thus, really shouldn't be a sleeper, being the only first round pick to not play in a game last season has taken him off most fantasy players' radar. Now healthy, he has shown a lot of promise this pre-season, reminding Saints fans why the team chose him with their first round selection in 2007. While most defenses will be focusing on Colston and now Shockey, look for Meachem to pick up the trash and find a lot of openings. With Drew Brees on the other end of those passes, he is sure to break out this season. Definitely a good pick in the later rounds of your fantasy draft.

Best player:

The Lions' top player for fantasy football is a tossup between receivers Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson.  Although Johnson didn't exactly live up to expectations last season, my feeling is that he will be better than Williams in 2008.  Johnson's development last year was greatly hampered by a back injury he suffered early on in the season.  The injury never really went away and he only got back to 100% health in the offseason.

During the preseason it seemed like Jon Kitna liked throwing the ball to C.J. more than Roy Williams and he did it effectively.  The preseason doesn't exactly mean a whole lot, but if it's even the slightest indication of what's to come then Calvin Johnson will become an elite NFL receiver.  Between his size and speed, there are very few corners that will be able to match-up well with Megatron, as Roy Williams calls him.

Best sleeper:

Rookie Kevin Smith has already won the starting job at running back for the Lions and should be a solid pickup for any fantasy player out there.  The Lions running game is going to take time as their offensive line struggled greatly in the preseason, but Smith can make plays out of nothing, which is good news for a Lions running back.  Smith's combination of speed and power, along with his juking abilities, makes it very hard for defenders to tackle him.

Early on I don't think Smith would be a player you would want starting on your fantasy team, but if the Lions' offensive line can improve as time goes by then he could step into a starting role.  I view him as a great running back to have for depth reasons and someone that has great upside.

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Way back in June I reported on the Carolina Panthers Fantasy prospects and would like to offer the following update based on the preseason.

Outside of leagues full of Panther fans you should be able to get Panthers at good value. If you believe like I do that the Panther offense will be much improved then you will want to target the following players in the rounds suggested based on a ten team league:

Best Player - Steve Smith (ESPN Rank #27)

In past seasons Smith was a sure fire 2nd round pick but he will probably slip to the 3rd round this season given the two week suspension he was served for punching teammate Ken Lucas. If you get him there it will be good value in spite of missing the first two games as I expect the return of Jake Delhomme will spark Smith’s production. I’m going to predict 1,150 yards and 10 TD’s through the air. He will add another 120 yards and a TD on the ground. I originally had Smith pegged as a Top 5 WR but missing two games will cost him in many ways. He will crack the top 10 at best.

Sleeper - Jake Delhomme (#200+)

Jake will get no respect in the preseason and fantasy drafts alike. He will still be available in most leagues in the 10th round. I would not draft him to be your starter simply because you should be able to get him as a back-up. I think he will be a huge sleeper at QB as the improved running game will open up the passing game. I’m going to revise my earlier prediction down a tad to 2,800 yards and 24 TD’s with 11 INT’s since it seems the Panthers will be a run first team. Jake will be a good back-up who you can start depending of the match-up. Given the Panthers have a fairly easy schedule there should be opportunity for spot starts. Who knows, he can easily end up starter material if the offense starts clicking.

DeAngelo Williams (#79)

D-Will will start the season at #1 RB and get his share of carries. The problem is that J-Stew may steal his TD’s similar to what Marion Barber did in Dallas and Julius Jones. I say “may steal his TD’s” because in the preseason the Panthers didn’t shy away from him in goal line situations. Given D-Will averaged almost 5 yards per carry I expect him to top 1,000 yards in a season for the first time. Resist the temptation to take D-Will early as he is no more than a 6th rounder. I’m still going to predict 1,000 yards rushing and 4 TD’s. He will also add 300 yards in the air and 2 more TD’s as D-Will has the capability of breaking long TD’s.

Jonathan Stewart (#65)

Though ESPN has him going in the 6th round Stewart is the most likely Panther to get drafted too early. Many people will speculate on him winning a starting job out of the preseason and subsequent breakout season as the Adrian Peterson effect takes hold. I would love to see it but it would be a big risk fantasy wise. I think Stewart will start slow but rack up some short yardage TD’s as he becomes a specialist in that area. Stewart will finish strong though and end up with 800 yards and but I’m going to adjust his TD’s down a tad to 10. It’s hard to predict his receiving yardage but I have heard he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He could end up adding 200-300 yards in the air and another 3-4 TD’s. Certainly a nice season for a rookie but you want more from a #2 RB which is where he will be drafted in many leagues. If he’s there in the 5th round take him but I doubt he will be there as again many people look for the next AP.

 Musin Muhammad (#178)

It’s hard to say whether Moose will be reliable enough for spot starts. It will depend on the match-up but he will put up an occasional good game. I expect 800 yards and 4 TD’s from Moose as he becomes the #2 WR in the offense. Moose should be worth a late round pick on your team depending on how many rounds you have.

Fantasy DUD - DJ Hackett (#106)

Hackett has been a bit on an enigma in Carolina as he has sat out the entire preseason nursing an injury, not a great start for a guy close to wearing the “injury-prone” collar. He will get draft higher than Moose but won’t equal his stats. I expect Hackett to put up 650 yards and 3 TD’s in part time work as I expect him to miss some games at some point. He will get drafted but I would take a wait and see approach. If he starts slow he will probably be out there on the waiver wire and will be worth a look as he takes time to build a rapport with his new QB. If he should somehow stay injury free this season then he could work up to a #2 receiver. More than likely he gets dinged at some point and misses some games.

Jeff King

TE Jeff King has little fantasy value but may be worth an occasional start based on the match-up. I can’t see going for more than 300 yards and 3 TD’s on the season but it will be hard to predict when he will get his yards.

John Kasay

I think John Kasay will benefit from the improved offense and be a top 10 kicker. In spite of his age Kasay showed in the preseason he can still hit from 50+ yards, nailing a 52 yarder against the Redskins. Head coach John Fox also doesn’t hesitate to let Kasay let it rip from up to 54 yards. I think he will hit 26 FG’s and all his point-afters to top 100 points pretty easily.

Panthers D/Special Teams

The Panther D will get no respect given their next to last place finish in sacks in 2007. They will fair a little better this season though you can expect  them to be available in the late rounds. Given the Panthers start the season against the Chargers they should go undrafted if not for the optimistic Panther fan. Prior to the preseason I expected the Panther D to be middle of the road at best fantasy-wise. After seeing the Panthers run more stunts and blitzes and seeing an obviously reenergized Julius Peppers they look to be much improved and may be worth a spot start given their fairly easy schedule. I think they will be a serviceable #2 defense with spot starts against their lesser opponents.

I apologize for not getting this post in at the same time as the rest of their NFC North brethren got theirs in over here at Fake Teams.  My wife and I live down on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, so you can just about imagine how hectic the past few days have been for us.  However, the old adage is "better late than never," and so here's my take on the best fantasy player and the biggest fantasy sleeper for the 2008 Minnesota Vikings.

The best fantasy player for the Vikings in 2008 should be a relatively obvious one.  Take a look at the cover of any fantasy football draft magazine on the shelves of your local bookstore, and you'll see a picture of #28, the man they call "Purple Jesus," Adrian Peterson.  Peterson and LaDanian Tomlinson should be 1-2 in any fantasy draft, and which one goes where is pretty much a matter of personal preference.  Personally, I might still lean towards Tomlinson at #1. . .but if you could guarantee me that Peterson would be healthy for all 16 games, I'd probably move him up to that slot.  Unfortunately, nobody can make that guarantee.

For a less obvious choice, I think that the Vikings' defense should be the first defense off the board in your fantasy draft.  They manage to find ways to score lots of defensive touchdowns, and the addition of Jared Allen will greatly enhance their sack totals, their yardage allowed, their points allowed, and so forth.

Looking at fantasy sleepers for Minnesota, a lot was made this off-season about the Vikings' addition of Bernard Berrian, and he will have an impact.  However, if you want a sleeper for the Vikings, take a look at the WR on the other side of the formation, Sidney Rice.  Rice has amazing athletic ability, soft hands, and the ability to outjump just about anybody on the field.  Despite injuries, he had 31 receptions and 4 TDs in 2007.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see both of those numbers double in 2008.  You should be able to grab him fairly late in most of your drafts. . .somewhere in the 11th or 12th round range would be appropriate, in my opinion.

While in recent seasons the Bengals offense had an endless well of fantasy football potential, too many questions arose over training camp to mindlessly continue the trend. Both of our starting wide receivers are recovering from preseason injuries; Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco with a partially torn labrum, T.J. Houshmandzadeh with a hamstring injury. Both are projected to start kickoff weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, but no one is confident enough to truly predict any successes. Not that any of that matters. When you think fantasy stud, and then quarterback, you think Carson Palmer. Really. Must I expand on that?

Originally, before the Bengals released Rudi Johnson, I had Chris Perry tagged, not as the team's sleeper, but the league's best fantasy sleeper pick. Too many people are frightened to take a flyer on the oft-injured running back, and with reason. However, from the offseason minicamps through the four preseason games, fans, teammates and coaches developed confidence that he'll stand up after each hit. And he has. The critical thing to note with Perry isn't just that he's the starting feature back with the Bengals, but he's given head coach Marvin Lewis confidence that he could also play the role of third-down back. This is hugely significant, and well practiced during the preseason when Palmer often looked at Perry standing five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, on third down. Provided the unanswered question of Perry's health doesn't end with curses, Perry's playing time will be huge, and his contributions will end with career-highs in nearly every offensive catagory.

This is Chris from over at Dawgs By Nature, SB Nation's site for all the news and nuggets you need on the Cleveland Browns.

Before last season, nobody really wanted to touch most of the Browns' players prior to the first five or six rounds. Things have changed heading into this year though, as the Browns have a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end who could each be considered a top-5 player at their position.

Of those superstars, who should you try to snag first? Let's take a look...

Continue reading this post »

Due to the Baltimore Ravens offense ranking in the bottom part of the league, you'd think there wouldn't be a fantasy stud on this team. However, RB Willis McGahee had a very solid 2007 season, both on the field and on your fantasy team, if you had him. This season should be no different, although he may get off on a slow start. McGahee had his previously injured knee scoped this summer and hasn't made it back on the field since. He will probably miss the opening game and perhaps another one or two and therefore might be a risk to take in the first round or even early in the second. However, he will end the year as a solid starter and if he's still available later in the second round, grab him, as he's still a lock for 1000 yards and 10 TD's, especially on a team that focuses its offense on the ground game.

As far as sleeper, stick with the running backs on this team and you might not only cover your bases, but get the sleeper you're looking for. Rookie Ray Rice has filled in nicely for McGahee in his absence. He has run with the first team and taken an overwhelming majority of the reps in the backfield this preseason. Look for him to line up on offense when the Ravens open at home versus a weak defensive team, the Cincinnati Bengals. Rice is built in the mode of Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, and we all have seen the benefit of having MJD alongside Fred Taylor.

So if you grab Willis McGahee earlier in your fantasy draft, be sure to grab his insurance policy, Ray Rice, later on. That way, you have the Baltimore Ravens starter, whether it be last year's stud or this year's sleeper. Good luck!

Jimmy from Music City Miracles here.

There isn't a lot of meat on the fantasy bone when it comes to the Titans, which is why Yahoo! ranked them #31 in their Fantasy Juggernaut Index. 

The fantasy stud when it comes to the Titans is their defense.  They ranked in the top 10 last season in rushing, passing, total and scoring defense.  They have a stud defensive line that includes Pro-Bowlers Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth to rack up sacks.  They also have some big time playmakers at linebacker and in the secondary that will get some interceptions.

The fantasy sleeper is rookie running back Chris Johnson.  Johnson proved in his first preseason game that he is going to be a special player by breaking a 66-yard TD run.  The Titans will use him a ton in both the running and passing game.  I am not going to say that he is the next Brian Westbrook, but he has a very similar skill set.. 

Before this message gets deleted as spam ... I've been a member of the Athletics Nation for several years. I wanted to share a project I've been involved with with the other SB Nation members.

Just wanted to let everyone know about a new fantasy baseball game that can be played all year round.

Here's the link for the "home" page for the game:
http://www.flooza.com/games/4/home

I am a web designer and have been working on a new web site (http://www.flooza.com) for over a year now where you can create your own fantasy game (called a "flooza"). Not being a football fan, I was jones-ing after baseball season ended to play some fantasy ..... so I created a flooza that can be played off-season as well as during the regular season. It is based on MLB transactions such as trades, signings, etc. (see the list of scoring stats below).

It's free to register and play.

I've been testing it for the last several months and it's pretty fun if you are into trying to guess the next trade or keep track of player movements between the big leagues and minors. The players available are all the MLB General Managers, all MLB teams and all players on all 40-man rosters, plus lots of minor leaguers and prospects (I add a few new players a day!)

I have created a special league for the mlb blogger world if anyone wants to try it out. Here's the link:
http://www.flooza.com/leagues/138/create_team

The players/positions for this flooza are:

Here is the complete list of scoring stats:

Scoring "Stategories"

If you want to play you can either create a league and invite your friends, or join a public league. It's free to register and play.

Of course, you can also create your own fantasy game if you are so inclined. You can see what others have created here http://www.flooza.com/games. It's a brand new site so things are just getting cooking.

I have created a special league for the mlb blogger world if anyone wants to try it out. Here's the link:
http://www.flooza.com/leagues/138/create_team

Here are the top 25 players so far this year:

COME ON DOWN AND PLAY!

Michael LaBash

I know, I know...who do the Texans have that could possibly be worth a damn for fantasy purposes? Two words, my friends: Ahman. Green.

I jest. I wouldn't draft Ahman Green if my life depended on it. And neither should you. He probably just broke a nail while reading this; that'll keep him out ten (10) weeks, easy. But down to business. The best fantasy option on Houston's roster is:

Andre Johnson (WR): You knew I was going here. For my money, 'Dre is one of the top three (3) WRs in the league, if not the best WR in the NFL. Yes, he missed seven (7) weeks last year with a knee sprain, but he's no injury risk; that's the first time he's missed any real time since he was drafted. And don't underestimate how many balls are heading his way; before last year's injury and after he returned, Andre Johnson was Matt Schaub's favorite target. The Texans haven't shown any ability to consistently run the ball, so you know they're taking to the air early and often this season. Bottom line: Expect a ton of yards and a ton of TDs from Andre Johnson. He's a legitimate No. 1 WR on any fantasy roster.

And my fantasy sleeper from the Houston Texans is:

Matt Schaub (QB): Last season's numbers aren't spectacular; I'll give you that, though that was wholly due to some missed games due to cheap shots (I'll always hate you, Drayton Florence). I fully expect, however, that The Schaub is going to stay upright and productive all year. Pencil him in for 3,500 yards and 20+ TDs. Even better, you should be able to pick him up after most of the alleged surefire fantasy QBs are off the board. I promise you he won't let you down. Well, he better not, because I took my own advice and drafted him last weekend. God, I'm a homer.