Receive Free Shipping on Orders Over $75 or 10% Off Orders Over $100 until 11.30.09.  Exclusions apply.

Main

March 05, 2010

Will Brandon Marshall be a Seahawk?

In the first full day of free agency, the Seattle Seahawks have already lost their best receiver to the Detroit Lions.

However, the chances of them upgrading at the position overall looks reasonably high as they will host troubled but talented receiver Brandon Marshall, who's a restricted free agent (first-round tender), according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Seahawks' offensive coordinator is Jeremy Bates, who was an assistant coach in Denver from 2006 to 2008.

If the Seahawks make an offer to Marshall, the Broncos would have seven days to match or they would receive the Seahawks first-round pick (sixth overall) as compensation. (The Seahawks also own the 14th overall pick, which they acquired last season from Denver.)

I'm surprised that some teams towards the bottom of the first round, such as the Ravens or the Jets, appear uninterested in Marshall. To me, it seems a no-brainer to forfeit a late first-round pick in exchange for Marshall despite his well-documented character concerns.

For three consecutive seasons, Marshall has caught 100+ passes for more than 1,100 yards each year.

February 08, 2010

Did Walter Jones retire yesterday?

Although he had previously stated that he would never announce his retirement via Twitter, that's exactly what Seattle Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones did yesterday.

Aside from the use of concussion instead of conclusion, his tweet was unambiguous, "I have came to the concussion it is time for me to retire from football."

However, ESPN blogger Mike Sando does not believe Jones, who had previously joked via Twitter about a "decision" coming, which happened to be which movie to see.

And, of course, Brett Favre's annual ritual of retirement-unretirement adds to the skepticism.

Maybe Sando is right as new Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recently said on the radio (KJR-AM) that Jones told him that he intends to come back, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times.

Whether or not Jones returns to collect his $7.3 million salary for 2010, the nine-time Pro Bowler is likely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in five (or six plus if he comes back) years.

January 09, 2010

No Mora in Seattle; is Carroll next?

While new Browns President Mike Holmgren has decided to retain the services of a first-year 5-11 coach in Cleveland, his replacement in Seattle was fired after finishing with a 5-11 record in his only season as Seahawks' head coach.

Granted, Eric Mangini led the Browns to an impressive four-game winning streak to close the season. And ousted Seahawks coach Jim Mora closed the season on a four-game skid in which the Seahawks were outscored 37-123.

"I was extremely shocked," Mora said, per Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times. "I just felt like you take over a 4-12 team, and there's obviously some work to be done."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Seahawks are close to a deal with USC head coach Pete Carroll. Before they can hire Carroll, they will need to satisfy the Rooney Rule and interview a minority candidate for the vacancy.

In 68 NFL games as head coach with the Patriots and Jets, Carroll has won 34 games and he has lost 34 games.

Meanwhile, Carroll has compiled a record of 97-19 at USC. With the exception of his first season (2001) and his most recent (2009), Carroll has posted 11+ wins and finished in first or tied for first in the Pac 10 conference every season.

In 2009, Carroll and USC finished 9-4, tied for fifth in the Pac 10 and beat Boston College 22-20 in the Emerald Bowl.

With his ability to recruit, he is a much better fit as a college head coach. Provided Carroll makes the transition to Seattle, I wouldn't be surprised to see Carroll return to NCAA football after adding a few additional years of mediocre NFL coaching experience to his résumé.

December 27, 2009

The Weekly Blitz - Week 16

Every week, I make three picks against the spread (ATS) for that week's NFL games. Here are my three guaranteed (well, unless they lose) winners for week 16:

Texans +1.5 (over Dolphins): Good luck Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. They will need all the luck they can get in trying to stop Andre Johnson, who is averaging 194.5 yards per game over the past two weeks. Both teams are 7-7 and need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Texans strengths match up well with Miami. When the Dolphins have the ball, they will look to feature Ricky Williams. But the Texans have a solid run defense, which could force the 'Fins to pass the ball more than they would otherwise like.

Packers -14 (over Seahawks): This game is a match made in blowout heaven. On one hand, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 293.5 yards per game and nine touchdowns in his past four games. On the other hand, the Seahawks have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (249.4) in the NFL. Moreover, the Packers have blown out many of their inferior opponents whereas the Seahawks have been beaten badly by the teams that should beat them. After last week's heart-breaking loss to Pittsburgh, look for the Packers to take out their revenge on their next opponent. Sorry Seattle.

Vikings -7 (over Bears): While a first-round bye for the Vikings seemed like a lock three weeks ago, they have lost two of their past three games and now only lead the Eagles, who host the Broncos this week, by one game for the #2 seed. The Bears have played better at home (4-3) than on the road (1-6) mainly because QB Jay Cutler has been horrible on the road. But the first time these two teams played, the Vikings pummeled the Bears by 26 points. Matt Forte will struggle to run the ball (what else is new?) and the Vikings will pressure Jay Cutler into costly mistakes (again, what else is new?).

December 25, 2009

Fantasy Football - RB Sit'em Week 16

Merry Christmas to everyone and if you're reading this, there's a good chance you've made it to your fantasy football league's Championship Game. Congratulations and good luck.

Here are some running backs who will likely put fantasy coal into your stockings:

Matt Forte, Bears (vs Vikings): This week concludes a brutal (fantasy) playoff run for Forte, who faced the Packers and Ravens in the two playoff matchups before the Vikings this week. And, in fact, it's been a hugely disappointing season for anyone who drafted Forte as he was arguably the biggest bust of fantasy drafts. In the past five weeks, Forte had one double-digit performance and that was against the Rams. The first time he played the Vikings (week 12), Forte finished with five fantasy points. Don't expect much more in week 16.

Quinton Ganther, Redskins (vs Cowboys): The majority of Ganther's fantasy production over the past two weeks has come from his three rushing touchdowns. But those TDs were scored against teams -- Oakland and NY Giants -- that have allowed the most and third-most rushing TDs, respectively. After last week's pathetic performance collectively as an offense against the Giants, it would be difficult to garner any kind of confidence in Ganther or any Redskins' player. Considering the Cowboys are allowing only 97.7 rushing yards per game (sixth-fewest in NFL), it would be wiser to sit Ganther on your bench.

LeSean McCoy/Brian Westbrook/Leonard Weaver, Eagles (vs Broncos): After missing five weeks, Westbrook will return and play against the Broncos although it's uncertain how many looks he'll eventually get. Nonetheless that will lower McCoy's value as if it weren't low enough due to sharing work with Leonard Weaver, who had a career high in rushing attempts (17) last week. In a pass-first offense like Philly's and with three backs to get touches, none of them should be within 10 feet of your starting lineup this week.

Justin Forsett, Seahawks (vs Packers): After Julius Jones suffered a bruised lung in week 10, Forsett picked up the slack. In weeks 10-12, Forsett averaged nearly 20 fantasy points per game, had two 100-yard rushing games and scored four touchdowns. But since Jones returned in week 13, Jones (42) has received nearly twice as many carries as Forsett (23). That said, it doesn't help that the Seahawks are facing the Packers, who allow the second-fewest rushing yards per game (83.6) in the NFL.

Click here for RB Start'em for Week 16 and/or my Week 16 RB rankings.

December 09, 2009

Fantasy Football: Week 14 WR Sit'em

With your playoff survival on the line, here are three receivers that I would bench for week 14:

Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers (vs Jets): Antonio Bryant has been playing well as he has hauled in eight receptions for 209 yards and a touchdown in his past two games. However, Bryant is no Randy Moss, Andre Johnson or Steve Smith (Panthers). Aside from being better than Bryant, what do those three have in common? Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis shut them down. So, don't expect for Bryant to buck the trend and sit him on your bench.

Devin Hester, Bears (vs Packers): While I would argue that Darrelle Revis is the league's top cornerback, you could argue that it's Oakland's Nnamdi Asomugha or Green Bay's Charles Woodson. This week, the Bears and Hester will face the Packers and Woodson. Hester, who left the week 13 game early with a calf injury, hasn't scored a touchdown since week 7 and he has only one reception in each of his past two games.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs Texans): Houshmandzadeh has been very frustrating to fantasy owners this year. And now that the playoffs are set to begin, can you trust a guy that has posted seven TOTAL fantasy points over the past three weeks? I can't.

For wide receivers to start in week 14, click here.

Check back later for our position-by-position rankings for week 14.

December 03, 2009

Fantasy Football: Top 50 WRs for Week 13

With the fantasy football playoffs on the horizon, here are my top 5 wide receivers for week 13:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Dolphins): In his first matchup against the Dolphins, who rank in the bottom 10 in passing yards allowed (233 ypg), Moss had six receptions for 147 yards and one TD. On the season, Moss leads the NFL in receiving yards (992) and is only one behind the leaders in TD receptions (eight). After getting their ass whooped on prime-time TV, expect the Patriots, Tom Brady, Moss & Co. to come out swinging.

2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Jaguars): Johnson is one of the league's most complete receivers and perhaps the most underrated. This week, Johnson gets a favorable matchup against the Jaguars, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to receivers this season. On the season, Johnson ranks fourth in the league in receiving yards (945).

3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Vikings): The Vikings have been without Antoine Winfield, the team's best cornerback, for the past five games. On the season, the Vikings have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. My expectation is for QB Kurt Warner to return from his concussion as Fitzgerald had his worst game of the season with Matt Leinart as QB last week. Fitzgerald is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (nine) including four TDs in the last three games in which Warner has played.

4. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Titans): Wayne is second in receptions (79), second in receiving yards (987) and tied for first in touchdowns (nine) in the league. In addition to their improvements with Vince Young under center, the Titans have improved on the defensive side of the ball as they are healthier now. Only the Lions (27) have allowed more receiving touchdowns than the Titans (25) on the season. During their five-game winning streak, however, the Titans have allowed only the 18th-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.

5. Sidney Rice, Vikings (at Cardinals): In three of his past six games, Rice has 136 receiving yards or more including a game with 201yards. With the exception of his game at Green Bay, Rice has had 89 yards or more in five of his past six. Favre and Rice have built chemistry quickly and they have a favorable matchup against the Cardinals, who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to receivers this season.

Click here for top 50 wide receivers for week 13.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Football: Top 40 RBs for Week 13

With the fantasy football playoffs on the horizon, here are my top 5 running backs for week 13:

1. Thomas Jones, Jets (at Bills): The first time that Jones faced the Bills this season, he rushed for 210 yards and a touchdown. The Bills have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season and only the Raiders have allowed more rushing TDs than the Bills (16). Since the Jets want QB Mark Sanchez to air it out less and less (his attempts have gone from 35 to 30 to 21 to 17), Jones better bring his lunch-pail tonight.

2. Chris Johnson, Titans (at Colts): As well as Johnson has played in the past six weeks (125+ rushing yards every week), you can consider Johnson 1(a) -- not #2 -- in this week's rankings. During their five-game winning streak, Johnson has rushed for seven touchdowns. Although the Colts have a middle-of-the-pack run defense on the season, they've given up the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs in the past three weeks.

3. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Buccaneers): DeAngelo has cooled off a bit with no touchdowns in the past three weeks and only one 100-yard game during that span. The first time that Williams faced the Buccaneers this season, he carried the ball 30 times for 152 yards and two scores. Expect more of the same against the league's third-worst rush defense.

4. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Cardinals): The Cardinals were the league's top-ranked run defense earlier in the season, but they have dropped to 14th in the NFL against the run (108.6 ypg allowed). In four of the past five weeks, they have allowed an opposing running back to eclipse the century mark. Surprisingly, Peterson has only three 100-yard games on the season, but he is second in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Texans): MJD has rushed for more rushing touchdowns (13) than any other running back. (Of course, none of those are as famous as the TD that he didn't score.) That said, Jones-Drew faces a Texans run defense that turned itself around after the first three weeks. In week 3, however, MJD rushed for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

Click here for top 40 running backs for week 13.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Football: Top 25 QBs for Week 13

It's time to put up or shut up. If you haven't yet clinched a playoff berth in your fantasy league, it likely comes down to week 13 for you as most fantasy leagues start their playoffs in week 14.

And to paraphrase Bill Parcells, this is why you buy those cheat sheets, do those mock drafts, etc. -- to get into (and win in) the playoffs.

Here are my top 5 quarterbacks for week 13:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Titans): Manning is the only QB to average over 300 passing yards per game (310.5) and is second in passing touchdowns (24). While the Titans and their defense have been playing better lately, they have allowed the second-most passing touchdowns (25) this season.

2. Brett Favre, Vikings (at Cardinals): In his past four games, Favre has thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. On the season, Arizona allows the fourth-most passing yards (258.3 ypg).

3. Drew Brees, Saints (at Redskins): Brees is coming off a five-TD performance against the Patriots in what was arguably the most important regular-season game in team history. Although this week's opponent (Washington) allows the fewest passing yards in the NFL (170.4 ypg), Brees and the Saints offense are firing on all cylinders right now.

4. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Dolphins): Brady failed to connect on a TD pass last week, but he had 332 passing yards against the Dolphins in their first match-up. With targets like Randy Moss and Wes Welker, it's not likely that Brady goes TD-less in back-to-back games.

5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Chiefs): Rivers has posted three consecutive 100+ QB ratings and this week he faces the Browns, who have allowed the ninth-most passing yards (233.4 ypg) this season. In the past four games, Rivers has thrown eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Click here for top 25 quarterbacks for week 13.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

December 02, 2009

Mora says Jones (not Forsett) top RB

I'm not the Seattle Seahawks head football coach, but maybe I should be as their current coach, Jim Mora, has it all wrong.

Mora says he's sticking with running back Julius Jones, who has missed the last two games with a bruised lung, as the team's starter.

"Julius is our starting running back," Mora said, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times. "He's our starting running back. That's what he is."

"Justin's earned the right to carry the ball off of what he did at Arizona and what he did this week," Mora said. "So we're going to make sure he gets touches."

I suppose it doesn't really matter who "starts." When Jones was in Dallas, Marion Barber eventually got more carries than Jones as the "back-up."

If Forsett is getting a bigger workload than Jones despite being the back-up, it doesn't make a difference who starts.

But Forsett has scored four rushing touchdowns in the past three games. That's twice as many as Jones has in nine games.

Forsett has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his past three games. In the one game he did not (vs Minnesota), Forsett had 80 receiving yards.

Maybe Jones shouldn't lose his job due to injury. But he shouldn't keep it, on the other hand, for not being as good as the alternative (Forsett).

November 26, 2009

The Weekly Blitz - Week 12

Last week was my worst week of the season in picking games against the spread (ATS) as I had my first O-for of the season. My goose egg dropped my 2009 cumulative record to 18-15 ATS.

With no help from me, collectively, we (our four "handicappers") went 7-5 in week 11 to improve to 72-59-1 (55%) versus the spread on the season.

Reader beware but here are my week 12 picks:

Dolphins -3 (over Bills): What the Dolphins do well the Bills do poorly. Despite having one of the league's best pass defenses, the Bills rank 31st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (165.9 ypg) and rushing touchdowns (15). Even without Ronnie Brown, the Dolphins have an explosive running game as evidenced by Ricky Williams' three-TD (two rushing, one receiving) performance in prime-time against the Panthers last week. Winners of five of their past seven, Miami has gotten itself back on track and into the playoff picture while the Bills are conducting seven-hour interviews with potential coaching replacements.

Seahawks -3 (over Rams): The Seahawks are bad. The Rams are bad. But in this case, "bad" does not equal "bad." Granted the Rams are playing better lately, but if you remember, the Seahawks beat the Rams 28-0 in their first matchup in week 1. The Rams' offense is one-dimensional with Steven Jackson and the Rams will be without QB Marc Bulger this week and perhaps the rest of the season. Facing eight-men fronts, it really is amazing that Jackson is second in the NFL in rushing yards. But the Seahawks have a much more balanced team than the Rams and should be able to put this one away early.

Patriots +1.5 (over Saints): The Saints face their biggest challenge to their unbeaten streak when they host the Patriots on Monday Night Football. The Saints have scored 24 points or more every game this season, but they have allowed five of their past six opponents to score 20+ points and they haven't yet faced an offense nearly as explosive as the Patriots' offense. Tom Brady has thrown for 300+ yards in five consecutive games. During that five-game span, the Patriots have held four of their opponents to 17 points or less. The lone exception was Indianapolis, who scored 21 of their 35 points in the fourth quarter. With two high-powered offenses, I'm taking the defense that has been more consistent lately.

To view the picks of all of our "handicappers" for week 12, click here.

November 06, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 9:

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Miami)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Houston)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Tampa Bay)
4. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Carolina)
5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at NY Giants)
6. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (vs Dallas)
7. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs Detroit)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Philadelphia)
9. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Chicago)
10. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Indianapolis)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 9.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 9:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Kansas City)
2. Ray Rice, Ravens (at Cincinnati)
3. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at New Orleans)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Washington)
5. Ryan Grant, Packers (at Tampa Bay)
6. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs San Diego)
7. Chris Johnson, Titans (at San Francisco)
8. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Baltimore)
9. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs Tennessee)
10. Pierre Thomas, Saints (vs Carolina)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 9:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Houston)
2. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Miami)
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Chicago)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at NY Giants)
5. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Carolina)
6. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Indianapolis)
7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs Dallas)
8. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs Miami)
9. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (vs Baltimore)
10. Greg Jennings, Packers (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 9:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Houston)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at NY Giants)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Philadelphia)
4. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs Tennessee)
5. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Dallas)
6. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Washington)
7. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Carolina)
8. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Detroit)
9. Fred Davis, Redskins (at Atlanta)
10. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs Green Bay)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 9

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 9:

1. Green Bay Packers (at Tampa Bay)
2. New Orleans Saints (vs Carolina)
3. Seattle Seahawks (vs Detroit)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (at Denver)
5. New England Patriots (vs Miami)
6. San Francisco 49ers (vs Tennessee)
7. Philadelphia Eagles (vs Dallas)
8. Atlanta Falcons (vs Washington)
9. Denver Broncos (vs Pittsburgh)
10. Indianapolis Colts (vs Houston)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 9.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

November 03, 2009

Seahawks release Edgerrin James


The Seattle Seahawks have released running back Edgerrin James, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times.

James, who was released by Arizona this summer, signed with the Seahawks in August.

Through seven games, James had 46 carries for 125 rushing yards and no touchdowns. His 2.7 yard per carry average was the lowest of his career.

In Sunday's game versus the Cowboys, however, James gained 17 yards on the ground moved into tenth place on the all-time rushing list with 12,246 career rushing yards.

It's unlikely that James, who was the Colts' first-round pick in 1999, will sign with another team.

October 31, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 8:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs San Francisco)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Atlanta)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Minnesota)
4. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Buffalo)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Oakland)
7. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Cleveland)
8. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Carolina)
9. David Garrard, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
10. Brett Favre, Vikings (at Green Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 8.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 8:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Green Bay)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
3. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Detroit)
4. Steve Slaton, Texans (at Buffalo)
5. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (at NY Jets)
6. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Jacksonville)
7. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs Denver)
8. Matt Forte, Bears (vs Cleveland)
9. Kevin Smith, Lions (vs St. Louis)
10. Michael Turner, Falcons (at New Orleans)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 8:

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Carolina)
2. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Atlanta)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs San Francisco)
4. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
5. Miles Austin, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (at Baltimore)
7. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (vs Oakland)
8. Roddy White, Falcons (at New Orleans)
9. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Buffalo)
10. Sidney Rice, Vikings (at Green Bay)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 8:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs San Francisco)
2. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Buffalo)
3. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Oakland)
4. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Atlanta)
5. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs NY Giants)
6. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
7. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at New Orleans)
8. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Green Bay)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (vs Cleveland)
10. Vernon Davis, 49ers (at Indianapolis)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 8:

1. San Diego Chargers (vs Oakland)
2. Arizona Cardinals (vs Carolina)
3. Indianapolis Colts (vs San Francisco)
4. Chicago Bears (vs Cleveland)
5. Dallas Cowboys (vs Seattle)
6. Philadelphia Eagles (vs NY Giants)
7. Minnesota Vikings (at Green Bay)
8. New Orleans Saints (vs Atlanta)
9. New York Giants (at Philadelphia)
10. Baltimore Ravens (vs Denver)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 8

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 8:

1. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Oakland)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Minnesota)
3. John Carney, Saints (vs Atlanta)
4. Robbie Gould, Bears (vs Cleveland)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Green Bay)
6. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (at Tennessee)
7. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs Seattle)
8. David Akers, Eagles (vs NY Giants)
9. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Philadelphia)
10. Rob Bironas, Titans (vs Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 8.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

October 23, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 7:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at St. Louis)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (at Miami)
3. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Cleveland)
5. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Kansas City)
6. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs San Francisco)
7. Jay Cutler, Bears (at Cincinnati)
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
9. Eli Manning, Giants (vs Arizona)
10. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at NY Giants)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 7.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 7:

1. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Buffalo)
2. Thomas Jones, Jets (at Oakland)
3. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Houston)
4. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Pittsburgh)
5. Michael Turner, Falcons (at Dallas)
6. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (vs New Orleans)
7. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Chicago)
8. Ryan Grant, Packers (at Cleveland)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (at Kansas City)
10. Joseph Addai, Colts (at St. Louis)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 7:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs San Francisco)
3. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at St. Louis)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at Kansas City)
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at NY Giants)
6. Roddy White, Falcons (at Dallas)
7. Marques Colston, Saints (at Miami)
8. Wes Welker, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
9. Hines Ward, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
10. Steve Smith, Giants (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 7:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (at St. Louis)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Kansas City)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Atlanta)
4. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at Dallas)
5. Heath Miller, Steelers (vs Minnesota)
6. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Philadelphia)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs San Francisco)
8. Brent Celek, Eagles (at Washington)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Cincinnati)
10. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (at Miami)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 7:

1. Green Bay Packers (at Cleveland)
2. Indianapolis Colts (at St. Louis)
3. New England Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
4. New York Jets (at Oakland)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (at Washington)
6. New York Giants (vs Arizona)
7. New Orleans Saints (at Miami)
8. Carolina Panthers (vs Buffalo)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Minnesota)
10. Minnesota Vikings (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 7

Every week, we provide consensus fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 7:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at Tampa Bay)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (at Cleveland)
3. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Kansas City)
4. David Akers, Eagles (at Washington)
5. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (vs Arizona)
6. Matt Stover, Colts (at St. Louis)
7. John Carney, Saints (at Miami)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (at Dallas)
9. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Pittsburgh)
10. Kris Brown, Texans (vs San Francisco)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 7.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

October 17, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 6:

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Detroit)
2. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
3. Drew Brees, Saints (vs NY Giants)
4. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Seattle)
5. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (at Oakland)
6. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs Arizona)
7. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs Cleveland)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Cincinnati)
9. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Denver)
10. Jay Cutler, Bears (at Atlanta)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 6.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 6:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs St. Louis)
2. Cedric Benson, Bengals (vs Houston)
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs Baltimore)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Chicago)
5. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs Detroit)
6. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Tampa Bay)
7. Matt Forte, Bears (at Atlanta)
8. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Jacksonville)
9. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (at San Diego)
10. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (at Oakland)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 6:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Seattle)
3. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Detroit)
4. Steve Smith, Panthers (at Tampa Bay)
5. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (at San Diego)
6. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (vs Houston)
7. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Chicago)
8. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Cincinnati)
9. Wes Welker, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
10. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

October 16, 2009

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 6:

1. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Chicago)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Denver)
3. Brent Celek, Eagles (at Oakland)
4. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs Carolina)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Kansas City)
6. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Cincinnati)
7. Jermichael Finley, Packers (vs Detroit)
8. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs Giants)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Atlanta)
10. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Arizona)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 6:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (at Oakland)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs Cleveland)
3. New York Jets (vs Buffalo)
4. Green Bay Packers (vs Detroit)
5. New England Patriots (vs Tennessee)
6. Minnesota Vikings (vs Baltimore)
7. Washington Redskins (vs Kansas City)
8. Baltimore Ravens (at Minnesota)
9. New York Giants (at New Orleans)
10. Denver Broncos (at San Diego)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 6

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 6:

1. David Akers, Eagles (at Oakland)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Detroit)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Tennessee)
4. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (vs St. Louis)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs Baltimore)
6. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at New Orleans)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (at Seattle)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Chicago)
9. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Denver)
10. Matt Prater, Broncos (at San Diego)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 6.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

October 10, 2009

Matt Hasselbeck likely to start vs Jaguars


When the Seahawks host the Jaguars Sunday, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck, who's practiced for three straight days, is expected to get the start, according to Eric Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune.

Hasselbeck fractured his rib in week two against the 49ers and Seneca Wallace has done a decent job as Hasselbeck's replacement. However, the team has lost their last three games despite having the 12th-ranked passing offense (255.3 passing yards per game) in the NFL.

On the season, Wallace has completed 66 percent of his passes and has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also lost two fumbles against the Colts last week.

Coach Jim Mora says that Hasselbeck has looked "more comfortable" and "more confident" in each of the past three practices.

“He’s healthy enough to play, but if you get hit in the right spot, you kind of go back to square one again,” [receiver TJ] Houshmandzadeh said. “Hopefully that doesn’t happen, but it will help us because he was our starting quarterback for a reason.”

The Seahawks will be without three starting offensive linemen and have only six linemen on their active roster so protecting Hasselbeck will be a challenge as the Seahawks have allowed nine sacks so far this season.

Fortunately for the Seahawks, however, the Jags rank last in the league in sacks (three) and in passing defense (282.3 passing ypg) through four games.

October 09, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 5:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Matt Schaub, Texans (at Arizona)
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at Detroit)
4. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Houston)
6. Tom Brady, Patriots (at Denver)
7. Joe Flacco, Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
9. Brett Favre, Vikings (at St. Louis)
10. David Garrard, Jaguars (at Seattle)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 5.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 5:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at St. Louis)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Seattle)
3. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Oakland)
4. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Indianapolis)
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Washington)
6. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
7. Marion Barber, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at Detroit)
9. Steve Slaton, Texans (vs Oakland)
10. Michael Turner, Falcons (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 5:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Arizona)
3. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Houston)
4. Randy Moss, Patriots (at Denver)
5. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (vs Houston)
6. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Pittsburgh)
7. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
8. Mike Sims-Walker, Jaguars (at Seattle)
9. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (at Detroit)
10. Steve Smith, Panthers (vs Washington)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 5:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Tennessee)
2. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
3. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at San Francisco)
4. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at Carolina)
6. Owen Daniels, Texans (at Arizona)
7. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs Jacksonville)
8. Dustin Keller, Jets (at Miami)
9. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs Atlanta)
10. Heath Miller, Steelers (at Detroit)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 5:

1. New York Giants (vs Oakland)
2. Minnesota Vikings (at St. Louis)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (at Detroit)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
5. Baltimore Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
6. New York Jets (at Miami)
7. Dallas Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee)
9. San Francisco 49ers (vs Atlanta)
10. Miami Dolphins (vs NY Jets)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 5

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 5:

1. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at St. Louis)
2. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs Houston)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at Denver)
4. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (vs Oakland)
5. Kris Brown, Texans (at Arizona)
6. David Akers, Eagles (vs Tampa Bay)
7. Nick Folk, Cowboys (at Kansas City)
8. Joe Nedney, 49ers (vs Atlanta)
9. Steven Hauschka, Ravens (vs Cincinnati)
10. Josh Scobee, Jaguars (at Seattle)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 5.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses

October 03, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 4:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs NY Jets)
3. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Detroit)
4. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
5. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Oakland)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
7. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Minnesota)
8. Eli Manning, Giants (at Kansas City)
9. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (vs San Diego)
10. Carson Palmer, Bengals (at Cleveland)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 4.

More rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 4:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs Green Bay)
2. Chris Johnson, Titans (at Jacksonville)
3. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Kansas City)
4. Cedric Benson, Bengals (at Cleveland)
5. Matt Forte, Bears (vs Detroit)
6. Steve Slaton, Texans (vs Oakland)
7. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Tennessee)
8. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins (vs Buffalo)
9. Willis McGahee, Ravens (at New England)
10. Steven Jackson, Rams (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 4:

1. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
3. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at Chicago)
4. Vincent Jackson, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
5. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs Oakland)
6. Chad Ochocinco, Bengals (at Cleveland)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (at Minnesota)
8. Steve Smith, Giants (at Kansas City)
9. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (vs San Diego)
10. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (at New Orleans)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 tight ends in week 4:

1. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Seattle)
2. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Denver)
3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs Tampa Bay)
4. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs Oakland)
5. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)
6. Greg Olsen, Bears (vs Detroit)
7. Vernon Davis, 49ers (vs St. Louis)
8. Dustin Keller, Jets (at New Orleans)
9. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (at Washington)
10. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (vs NY Jets)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 4.

More rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 4:

1. New York Giants (at Kansas City)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (at Cleveland)
3. San Francisco 49ers (vs St. Louis)
4. Chicago Bears (vs Detroit)
5. Washington Redskins (vs Tampa Bay)
6. Minnesota Vikings (vs Green Bay)
7. Indianapolis Colts (vs Seattle)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs San Diego)
9. Baltimore Ravens (at New England)
10. Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 4.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 4

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 4:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Baltimore)
2. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs Green Bay)
3. John Carney, Saints (vs NY Jets)
4. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Kansas City)
5. Robbie Gould, Bears (vs Detroit)
6. Mason Crosby, Packers (at Minnesota)
7. Shayne Graham, Bengals (at Cleveland)
8. Kris Brown, Texans (vs Oakland)
9. Rian Lindell, Bills (at Miami)
10. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 4.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

September 26, 2009

Fantasy Quarterback Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 3:

1. Drew Brees, Saints (at Buffalo)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at St. Louis)
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Miami)
5. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
6. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
7. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
8. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
9. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at New England)
10. Eli Manning, Giants (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Running Back Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 3:

1. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Houston)
2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (vs San Francisco)
3. Matt Forte, Bears (at Seattle)
4. Michael Turner, Falcons (at New England)
5. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Dallas)
6. Ryan Grant, Packers (at St. Louis)
7. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (at Tampa Bay)
8. Steven Jackson, Rams (vs Green Bay)
9. Fred Jackson, Bills (vs New Orleans)
10. Clinton Portis, Redskins (at Detroit)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 3:

1. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Marques Colston, Saints (at Buffalo)
4. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
6. Steve Smith, Panthers (at Dallas)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (at St. Louis)
8. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Washington)
9. Roddy White, Falcons (at New England)
10. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (at Cincinnati)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Tight End Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 3:

1. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Miami)
2. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Arizona)
3. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at New England)
4. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
5. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at Detroit)
6. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers (vs NY Giants)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs Jacksonville)
8. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (at Buffalo)
9. Dustin Keller, Jets (vs Tennessee)
10. Brent Celek, Eagles (vs Kansas City>

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Team Defense Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 3:

1. Ravens (vs Cleveland)
2. Eagles (vs Kansas City)
3. Steelers (at Cincinnati)
4. Packers (at St. Louis)
5. Giants (at Tampa Bay)
6. Jets (vs Tennessee)
7. Vikings (vs San Francisco)
8. Redskins (vs St. Louis)
9. Bears (at Seattle)
10. Broncos (at Oakland)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 3

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 3:

1. Lawrence Tynes, Giants (at Tampa Bay)
2. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Miami)
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Atlanta)
4. David Akers, Eagles (vs Kansas City)
5. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (vs San Francisco)
6. Mason Crosby, Packers (at St. Louis)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs Indianapolis)
8. John Carney, Saints (at Buffalo)
9. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs Carolina)
10. Kris Brown, Texans (vs Jacksonville)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 3.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

September 19, 2009

Fantasy Football QB Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 2:

1. Drew Brees, Saints (at Philadelphia)
2. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Miami)
3. Tom Brady, Patriots (at NY Jets)
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs NY Giants)
6. Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs Carolina)
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
8. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at Chicago)
9. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
10. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Football RB Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 2:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Detroit)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (vs Arizona)
3. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Carolina)
4. Clinton Portis, Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (vs New Orleans)
6. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (at Atlanta)
7. Frank Gore, 49ers (vs Seattle)
8. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Houston)
9. Ryan Grant, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
10. Thomas Jones, Jets (vs New England)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Football WR Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 2:

1. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
2. Reggie Wayne, Colts (at Miami)
3. Randy Moss, Patriots (at NY Jets)
4. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
5. Calvin Johnson, Lions (vs Minnesota)
6. Andre Johnson, Texans (at Tennessee)
7. Marques Colston, Saints (at Philadelphia)
8. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Carolina)
9. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (at San Francisco)
10. Wes Welker, Patriots (at NY Jets)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Football TE Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 2:

1. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Carolina)
2. Dallas Clark, Colts (at Miami)
3. Jason Witten, Cowboys (vs NY GIants)
4. Chris Cooley, Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Antonio Gates, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
6. John Carlson, Seahawks (at San Francisco)
7. Todd Heap, Ravens (at San Diego)
8. Zach Miller, Raiders (at Kansas City)
9. Dustin Keller, Jets (vs New England)
10. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Detroit)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

September 18, 2009

Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 2:

1. Vikings (at Detroit)
2. Packers (vs Cincinnati)
3. Steelers (at Chicago)
4. Redskins (vs St. Louis)
5. Titans (vs Houston)
6. Ravens (at San Diego)
7. Falcons (vs Carolina)
8. Giants (at Dallas)
9. Patriots (at NY Jets)
10. Seahawks (at San Francisco)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

Fantasy Football Kickers - Week 2

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 2:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (at NY Jets)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Cincinnati)
3. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Detroit)
4. David Akers, Eagles (vs New Orleans)
5. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (vs Baltimore)
6. Rob Bironas, Titans (vs Houston)
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (at Jacksonville)
8. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Carolina)
9. Nick Folk, Cowboys (vs NY Giants)
10. John Carney, Saints (at Philadelphia)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 2.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

September 13, 2009

2009 NFC West Prediction

Here are my picks for the NFC West in 2009:


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Prediction: 8-8 (Seahawks Schedule | Seahawks Forum)

The Seahawks have Matt Hasselbeck back and healthy, they added a T.J. Houshmandzadeh as their No. 1 receiver and they have recently signed Edgerrin James to join Julius Jones in their backfield. While their running game is still suspect (at best), the Seahawks should be able to move the ball in the air. Injuries are a concern. Left tackle Walter Jones will miss (at least) the season opener and cornerback Marcus Trufant will begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list and therefore miss the first six games. The Seahawks allowed a league-worst 259.3 passing yards per game last year. But the Seahawks have the most talented group of linebackers -- rookie Aaron Curry, Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill -- in the division.

Strength of Schedule: 2009 opponents had a .457 winning percentage in 2008 (24th)

2008 Playoff Teams on Schedule (5): at Indianapolis, vs Arizona, at Arizona, at Minnesota, vs Tennessee

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 23 (7.7 per season)

Continue reading "2009 NFC West Prediction" »

September 10, 2009

Fantasy Kicker Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 kickers in week 1:

1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Mason Crosby, Packers (vs Chicago)
3. Neil Rackers, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
4. John Carney, Saints (vs Detroit)
5. Nate Kaeding, Chargers (at Oakland)
6. Ryan Longwell, Vikings (at Cleveland)
7. Kris Brown, Texans (vs NY Jets)
8. David Akers, Eagles (at Carolina)
9. Jason Elam, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Nick Folk, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 20 kickers for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

2009 Fantasy Defense Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 team defenses in week 1:

1. Ravens (vs Kansas City)
2. Vikings (at Cleveland)
3. Patriots (vs Buffalo)
4. Chargers (at Oakland)
5. Giants (vs Washington)
6. Steelers (vs Tennessee)
7. Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)
8. Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
9. Eagles (at Carolina)
10. Titans (at Pittsburgh)

See full list of top 20 defenses for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

2009 Fantasy WR Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 fantasy wide receivers in week 1:

1. Randy Moss, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
3. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at New Orleans)
4. Andre Johnson, Texans (vs NY Jets)
5. Marques Colston, Saints (vs Detroit)
6. Reggie Wayne, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
7. Greg Jennings, Packers (vs Chicago)
8. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
9. Roddy White, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)

See full list of top 50 wide receivers for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

2009 Fantasy RB Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 running backs in week 1:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Cleveland)
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (at Oakland)
3. Matt Forte, Bears (at Green Bay)
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (at Indianapolis)
5. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Seattle)
6. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Arizona)
7. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (vs Philadelphia)
8. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (at Carolina)
9. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Miami)
10. Brandon Jacobs, Giants (vs Washington)

See full list of top 40 running backs for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

2009 Fantasy QB Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 1:

1. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Detroit)
3. Peyton Manning, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
4. Kurt Warner, Cardinals (vs San Francisco)
5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs Bears)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Raiders)
7. Donovan McNabb, Eagles (at Carolina)
8. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs NY Jets)
9. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
10. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)

See full list of top 25 quarterbacks for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 TEs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

2009 Fantasy TE Rankings - Week 1

Every week, we provide fantasy football rankings per position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K, DEF) based on that week's matchup.

How do we arrive at our rankings?

We average out rankings from various sources in an effort to reduce the variability between mainstream sites. We include ESPN, Yahoo! and CBS Sports in our rankings.

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in week 1:

1. Jason Witten, Cowboys (at Tampa Bay)
2. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at Oakland)
3. Dallas Clark, Colts (vs Jacksonville)
4. Greg Olsen, Bears (at Green Bay)
5. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (vs Miami)
6. John Carlson, Seahawks (vs St. Louis)
7. Owen Daniels, Texans (vs NY Jets)
8. Chris Cooley, Redskins (at NY Giants)
9. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings (at Cleveland)
10. Zach Miller, Raiders (vs San Diego)

See full list of top 20 tight ends for week 1.

Also, see our other rankings: top 25 QBs | top 40 RBs | top 50 WRs | top 20 kickers | top 20 team defenses.

FYI: Here's the link to our free fantasy football survivor contest.

September 05, 2009

Links to all 32 NFL team final roster cuts

At 6 p.m. ET tonight, NFL teams were required to make their final cuts to reduce their roster from 75 players to 53 players.

Here are links to lists of cuts (or to the final 53-man roster) for all 32 NFL teams:

AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
NFC North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

I will add links to the Colts' and Jaguars' cuts and/or 53-man rosters once I find links to them. [Links updated above]

September 04, 2009

Updated 9/4: Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.2, High: 2, Low: 4)
5. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 6.2, High: 5, Low: 10)
6. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.6, High: 5, Low: 9)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.0, High: 6, Low: 11)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 9.2, High: 6, Low: 12)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.6, High: 6, Low: 16)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.0, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 9, Low: 13)
12. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 7, Low: 15)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.6, High: 11, Low: 21)
14. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 15.4, High: 13, Low: 17)
15. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 15.8, High: 14, Low: 19)
16. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 16.2, High: 9, Low: 21)
17. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.6, High: 11, Low: 22)
18. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 17.2, High: 10, Low: 22)
19. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.8, High: 13, Low: 24)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 18.4, High: 15, Low: 23)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

August 27, 2009

Updated 8/27: Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 6.8, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.6, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 9.0, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.4, High: 4, Low: 16)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.0, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.4, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 11.8, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.8, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 15.6, High: 13, Low: 17)
16. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.0, High: 12, Low: 22)
17. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 16.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
18. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
19. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.8, High: 14, Low: 24)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 18.6, High: 15, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

Also, you can follow us on Twitter @EDSFootball or on Facebook's Networked Blogs.

August 24, 2009

Edge is heading west to Seattle

FBN-SUPERBOWL

According to Pro Football Talk, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a one-year deal with running back Edgerrin James. PFT reports the deal is worth $2 million.

So, in other words, James, who would have earned a $5 million salary with Arizona in 2009, landed himself a cool $3 million paycut.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks are not commenting on the report, per Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times, but they will do so Tuesday.

The Seahawks currently have Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett as their top two running backs heading into 2009.

James, the 11th all-time leading rusher, needs 619 yards to pass Tony Dorsett, who ranks seventh all-time.

August 16, 2009

New consensus top 150 fantasy football cheat sheet (updated 8/16)

Eagles-Vikings

We have updated our Consensus Top 150 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, which averages five separate cheat sheets to arrive at a consensus ranking.

The primary benefit of using our cheat sheet over another site's individual cheat sheet is that you're less likely to be affected by the bias of one person or one site if those differences are smoothed out with a consensus ranking of various sources.

Here are top twenty players in order of average rank (Average Rank, Highest Rank, Lowest Rank in parenthesis):

1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings (Average: 1.2, High: 1, Low: 2)
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars (Average: 2.6, High: 1, Low: 4)
3. Michael Turner, RB, Falcons (Average: 3.0, High: 2, Low: 4)
4. Matt Forte, RB, Bears (Average: 3.4, High: 2, Low: 5)
5. Steven Jackson, RB, Rams (Average: 6.4, High: 5, Low: 9)
6. DeAngelo Williams, RB, Panthers (Average: 7.2, High: 5, Low: 11)
7. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans (Average: 8.4, High: 6, Low: 13)
8. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (Average: 8.8, High: 6, Low: 11)
9. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers (Average: 9.6, High: 4, Low: 17)
10. Frank Gore, RB, 49ers (Average: 10.2, High: 6, Low: 18)
11. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans (Average: 11.0, High: 7, Low: 15)
12. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans (Average: 12.0, High: 10, Low: 14)
13. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (Average: 14.0, High: 11, Low: 17)
14. Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles (Average: 14.6, High: 7, Low: 21)
15. Marion Barber, RB, Cowboys (Average: 15.4, High: 10, Low: 20)
16. Randy Moss, WR, Patriots (Average: 16.0, High: 15, Low: 17)
17. Brandon Jacobs, RB, Giants (Average: 16.2, High: 12, Low: 23)
18. Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 20)
19. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions (Average: 17.0, High: 14, Low: 21)
20. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (Average: 19.4, High: 16, Low: 24)

Full Top 150 Consensus Rankings here.

July 21, 2009

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: "I'm not playing Madden no more"

Cincinnati Bengals v Seattle Seahawks


Seattle Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is upset. And he's not going to take it any more.

Houshmandzadeh feels he was shafted with his rating in the upcoming Madden 10, which will be released next month, and vows not to play the game until they "do [him] right."

To show his level of disappointment, he will continue his use of double negatives as this quote starts and ends with one.

"I'm not playing Madden no more, until they get my rating right," said Houshmandzadeh on Colin Cowherd's ESPN radio show. "It might be a little pouting, too. It might be. But, you know, I used to be the best in the world at Madden, so I'm going to miss not playing it. But until they do me right, I'm not playing it no more."

Are you f---ing kidding me?

The game ranks five NFC receivers ahead of him - Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Carolina's Steve Smith and Atlanta's Roddy White.

Which of those receivers are worse than Houshmandzadeh?

None of them.

In fact, I'm not playing [no] Madden 10 until they do Houshmandzadeh "wronger." Other NFC receivers, such as Green Bay's Greg Jennings and New Orleans' Marques Colston, should also be ranked higher than Houshmandzadeh.

June 11, 2009

Deion Branch practiced for first time in 2009

Seattle Seahawks receiver Deion Branch returned to practice for the first time since last season.

Before yesterday, Branch had been running hills and doing rehab from a knee surgery that he had in March. It was his second procedure since he injured his knee in January 2008 in Green Bay.

Although Branch returned to practice, he says his knee may never be the same.

"You will never be back to normal once you have this type of procedure done. I actually feel stronger, but it's not normal," said Branch, who turns 30 next month. "Something has been done that removed (parts) of my knee. My biggest thing is to continue to strengthen it."

"It was just good to be back out there with the guys. The biggest thing was doing more team things, and not being off secluded with the rest of the injured guys," Branch said. "It was cool."

Seattle traded a first-round pick to acquire Branch and then gave him a $39 million contract in 2006. This was a classic example of a player cashing in on a great performance (Super Bowl MVP) and the acquiring team overpaying for that player's services.

And the injuries Branch have suffered has made the deal go from bad to worse.

May 24, 2009

Hasselbeck's back's back to normal

Last season, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who suffered from a bulging disk in his back, played in only seven games in 2008.

In this year's off-season workouts, Hasselbeck's back looks like it's completely healed, according to Dave Boling of the Tacoma Tribune.

Hasselbeck feels comfortable enough with his back that he is able to focus solely on learning the new offense and playbook.
I hope everything’s in,” he said of the offense. “The (play)book is so thick. I think what we’re trying to do now is just really install everything, see what works, see what fits the personnel. And Greg Knapp’s kind of going 100 miles an hour teaching it, coaching it. We’re just trying to learn it, practice it, get so it feels just like second nature.”
Last year, the injury bug not only affected Hasselbeck but the Seahawks' receiving corps as well. In fact, early in the season, the Seahawks signed WR Billy McMullen off the street and Hasselbeck called him the "go-to receiver."

With healthier receivers (knock on wood) and the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh via free agency, the Seahawks should challenge the Cardinals for the division in 2009.

April 30, 2009

Seahawks, Hill agree to six-year deal

After drafting Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, the Seattle Seahawks removed the franchise tag from linebacker Leroy Hill, which made him an unrestricted free agent.

However, the Seahawks said it was their intention to sign Hill to a long-term deal.

Per John Clayton of ESPN, the Seahawks and Hill agreed to a six-year deal worth $38 million ($15.5 million guaranteed).

The contract has an addendum that protects Hill's guaranteed money if he's suspended for an incident where he fell asleep behind the wheel and police found two bags of marijuana in his car.

Hill, who was the Seahawks' third-round pick in 2005, had 84 tackles and one sack in 12 games in 2008.

April 29, 2009

Patrick Kerney has elbow surgery

Seattle Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney had surgery on his left elbow yesterday to remove bone chips according to Eric Williams of the Tacoma News-Tribune.

Having torn his left labrum for a second time in less than a year, Kerney missed the final nine games of the 2008 season after having season-ending shoulder surgery.

Although he won't participate in any off-season minicamps, Kerney is expected to be ready for training camp in July.

Kerney had five sacks in the seven games he played last year.

April 26, 2009

Seahawks remove franchise tag from Leroy Hill

The Seattle Seahawks will remove the franchise tag from linebacker Leroy Hill. Hill now becomes an unrestricted free agent.

By removing the franchise tag, the team has more flexibility under the cap. If Hill, who didn't report to the team's April mini-camp, had signed the franchise tender offer, he would have been guaranteed a salary of $8.3 million in 2008.

Per Eric Williams of The News Tribune, the Seahawks and Hill will continue to negotiate. The Seahawks reportedly offered Hill a six-year contract worth $36 million, which Hill turned down.

The Seahawks drafted Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry with the fourth overall pick yesterday.

April 25, 2009

Broncos trade up to 37 overall

The Denver Broncos have traded with Seattle for the Seahawks' second-round pick (37 overall).

The Broncos selected cornerback Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest.

The Seahawks will get a first-round pick from Denver in 2010.

And with the fourth-overall pick...

The Seattle Seahawks select Aaron Curry, LB from Wake Forest.

The Mark-Sanchez-to-Seattle speculation was merely a smokescreen. I think Curry is the best player in the draft so I think the Seahawks get a bargain at number four overall.

Let the bidding war for USC QB Mark Sanchez begin.

Cleveland is on the clock. See all 2009 NFL Draft Picks.

April 10, 2009

Mora running Seahawks hard

New Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora is running an up-tempo practice. Mora, who runs a steep mountain many mornings, is running all over the practice field and expects his assistants to do the same while coaching their players.

Seahawks DE Patrick Kearney, who played under Mora in Atlanta, knew it was coming and warned his teammates.
“Be in great shape,” he’s said [to his teammates] with a chuckle while he’s been rehabilitating from shoulder surgery. “Be ready to run.”
Unlike Holmgren, who yelled when players messed up, Mora is an "attacking, pressure guy" all the time. But he says his intention is not to "kill" his players.
“The objective is not to come out here and kill them,” he said of this extra minicamp the league grants to teams with new head coaches. “Really, it’s to introduce to them what we want to do, how we want to do things, and hopefully what we want to be as a football team.

“I’m looking for tempo, speed, a level of execution. I think we have to start to establish our standards for those things. ... There’s a long way to go before we actually play a game. There’s a lot of messages that these guys are receiving.”
The Seahawks finished 4-12 in Mike Holmgren's last season as head coach. If they aren't more successful under Mora, they will at least be in better shape.

April 06, 2009

Matt Hasselbeck to practice tomorrow

Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck, who missed nine games in 2008 with a bulging disk, will participate in practice tomorrow when the team begins their voluntary mini-camp.

It will be the first mini-camp under new head coach Jim Mora.

In the seven games that Hasselbeck played in 2008, he finished with a QB rating of 57.8, the lowest of his career. He threw for 173.7 yards per game, which was his lowest average since his first season in Seattle (2001). Hasselbeck threw twice as many interceptions (10) as he threw touchdowns (5).

Several mock drafts have the Seahawks, who select fourth overall in this year's draft, taking USC QB Mark Sanchez.

March 14, 2009

Seahawks trade Peterson to Lions

The Seattle Seahawks traded LB Julian Peterson to the Detroit Lions for Cory Redding and a fifth-round draft pick.
"Cory Redding is a guy we've had our eye on for some time," said Tim Ruskell, Seahawks president. "We liked him coming out of Texas because of his versatility to play inside and out and also because of the type of person he is. This gives us another big, physical presence along the defensive line and someone we can play at multiple positions."
Peterson signed a 7-year, $54 million contract in 2006 while Redding signed a 7-year, $47.8 million contract in 2007. Peterson, who was asked to accept a paycut but declined, was due to earn $6.5 million in 2009.

Redding had his best year in 2006, when he had 8 sacks and became the league's highest-paid DT. He had 3 sacks in 2008 before finishing the season on IR in the final three regular-season games.

March 02, 2009

T.J. Houshmandzadeh signs with Seahawks

After meeting with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, T.J. Houshmandzadeh decided to leave Cincinnati even though his QB Carson Palmer was lobbying him to stay. He had planned on making his decision over the weekend, but needed to sleep on it for another day.

It appeared as though the Vikings were the team most likely to land the biggest WR prize in free agency. Instead, it was the Seahawks.

Houshmandzadeh, 31, agreed to a 5-year, $40 million contract with $15 million in guaranteed money.

That seems like a steep price for a guy who is more of a possession receiver and not a true #1 WR, which he will be in Seattle. Houshmadzadeh, however, is consistent and has the most receptions (372) of any receiver in the past 4 seasons. And he's a good fit for the precision passing game of a West Coast offense.

Houshmandzadeh was selected in the 7th round of the 2001 NFL draft by the Bengals. In fact, the Bengals selected Chad Johnson (2nd round) and Rudi Johnson (4th round) in the same draft. Both Johnson and Houshmandzadeh played for Oregon State together.

March 01, 2009

Seahawks sign Colin Cole

The Seattle Seahawks have signed DT Colin Cole to a 5-year contract. Cole will start alongside fellow DT Brandon Mebane.

Signing Cole is the first move the Seahawks have made in free agency.

The Seahawks lost Rocky Bernard to the New York Giants.

Cole had 30 tackles and a half-sack for the Green Bay Packers in 2008.

February 19, 2009

Seahawks franchise Leroy Hill

Today the Seattle Seahawks placed their franchise tag on LB Leroy Hill.

Hill will earn a 2009 salary of $8.304 million when (or if) he signs the tender. Franchised players earn the average of the top 5 salaries at their position or 120% of their 2008 salary, whichever is greater.

However, the team and the player intend on continuing negotiations for a long-term contract, which they can do until July 15th.
"I wouldn't say we're exactly close," Ruskell said of the negations with France regarding Hill. "But it's been good-faith negotiating and this allows us to keep doing that while protecting our rights to the player."
Last month, Hill was busted for marijuana possession when he was found passed out in his car with a couple of bags of weed in it.

Hill finished 3rd on the team in tackles (84) behind fellow LBs Lofa Tatupu (94) and Julian Peterson (86).

February 02, 2009

2010 Super Bowl odds

The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII last night. Enjoy it. Ok...stop. Vegas is already looking ahead to 2009-2010.

Sportsbook.com has odds for Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on February 7, 2010 on its website.

Who's the favorite?

The Patriots have 8-1 odds.

Here are the rest:

10-1: Steelers, Cowboys, Giants, Colts
12-1: Ravens, Titans, Panthers, Eagles, Chargers
25-1: Packers, Saints, Vikings
30-1: Jaguars, Jets, Cardinals, Bucs, Falcons, Broncos
40-1: Bears, Texans, Bills, Redskins, Dolphins
50-1: Seahawks
60-1: Browns, Bengals, 49ers
100-1: Chiefs, Raiders, Rams, Lions

See past Super Bowl winners.

January 25, 2009

Is Shaun Ellis the mentor for Leroy Hill?

Seattle Seahawks LB Leroy Hill, who's about to become an unrestricted free agent, learned from teammate Lofa Tatupu and took his cue from Jets DE Shaun Ellis.

With drinking and driving being such a huge problem in the NFL, Ellis decided to not drink and drive last month. Instead, he smoked some weed and drove.

Hill was busted early Saturday morning for possession of marijuana. Since driving under the influence is dangerous, Hill decided to pass out behind the steering wheel instead.

Moron.
"He was at an intersection passed out behind the wheel," Taylor said. "The deputies conducted an investigation and found two bags of marijuana in the car."
Hill, who was the Seahawks 3rd-round choice in 2005, was third on the team in tackles (84).

I still don't understand how professional athletes can drive under the influence. Rent a stretch Escalade or something. They can obviously afford it with their multi-million dollar salaries.

Why jeopardize your career and, more importantly, your life and others' lives?

January 11, 2009

Casey Bradley to be Seahawks DC

The Seattle Seahawks hired Casey Bradley, who was the Buccaneers LB coach, as their defensive coordinator.
"They offered me the job and I accepted," Bradley told The Tampa Tribune. "I signed the contract a little while ago."
Bradley, who was "highly recommended" by Monte Kiffin, will likely put together the defensive game plan while Jim Mora will make the defensive play calls.

Dan Quinn, who was the Jets D-Line coach, will join the Seahawks as D-Line coach.

December 26, 2008

Week 17 playoff scenarios

I can't recall an NFL season in recent memory with so many important matchups to decide entry into the post-season party like we have had last week and this week. Then again, I can't remember what I did 2 hours ago.

In any event, let's take a look at the current playoff picture. For simplicity sake, we ignore the possibility of a second tie this season.

Teams fall into 4 categories - playoff bound/seed locked, playoff bound/seed TBD, on playoff bubble and eliminated.

AFC Teams:

Playoff bound/seed locked:
Tennessee Titans (1), Pittsburgh Steelers (2), Indianapolis Colts (5)

Playoff bound/seed TBD:
none

On playoff bubble:
Miami Dolphins: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Jets. A Dolphins' loss eliminates them from the playoffs.

New England Patriots: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Bills and Jets win over Dolphins. Bill Belichick stopped short of saying he'd root for the Jets, but that's what he will be doing. If the Dolphins and Pats win, the Pats will get the 6 seed with a Ravens' loss.

New York Jets: Win AFC East and clinch 3 seed with win over Dolphins and Pats' loss to Buffalo. Loss to Dolphins eliminates Jets' hopes. If the Jets and Pats win, the Jets will get the 6 seed if the Ravens lose.

Baltimore Ravens: Clinch 6 seed with a win over Jaguars or a Patriots loss to Buffalo and a Jets loss to Dolphins.

Denver Broncos: Win AFC West and clinch 4 seed with win over Chargers. Loss eliminates Broncos.

San Diego Chargers: same as Denver Broncos.

Eliminated:
Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders

Continue reading "Week 17 playoff scenarios" »

December 24, 2008

Shaun Ellis fined for "snowball fight"

Shaun Ellis says that Seattle Seahawks fans were throwing snowballs at him. So, I one-upped and threw back a "snowball" the size of a medicine ball.



Shaun Ellis, who was busted for marijuana possession earlier this month, was fined $10,000 by the NFL.
"That situation in the stadium in general was not a very safe situation for anybody involved," [Jets coach Eric] Mangini said. "That doesn't justify us getting involved in it on the flip side of that. He understands that. We thought that there could've been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety from snowballs coming down."
This could have obviously had a much worse ending than just a fine from the No Fun League. Considering how litigation-happy people are, Ellis is lucky someone's not claiming to be harmed in some way, shape or form...

December 20, 2008

NFC Playoff Picture

Earlier in the week, we took a look at the AFC playoff picture. Since then, the Colts have beaten the Jaguars to clinch the 5 seed in the AFC. That means that the Ravens and the non-division winners out of the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins will battle it out for the 6th seed in the AFC.

Let's shift our focus to the NFC. With 2 weeks to play, here are the current seedings in the NFC:
1. New York Giants (11-3)
2. Carolina Panthers (11-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (9-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (8-6)
5. Dallas Cowboys (9-5)
6. Atlanta Falcons (9-5)
NFC East:

New York Giants (11-3): With a win tomorrow night against the Panthers, the Giants lock up home-field advantage. If the Giants lose and the Vikings lose to the Falcons, the Giants will clinch the #2 seed and first-round bye. If the Giants lose and the Vikings win, the teams face off in Minnesota next week for the #2 seed.

Dallas Cowboys (9-5): The Cowboys are in as the 5 seed if they win out against the Ravens and Eagles. The Falcons and Bucs have identical records to the Cowboys and the Eagles trail by a half-game. The Bears trail the Cowboys by one game.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-5-1): The Eagles trail the Cowboys, Falcons and Bucs by a half-game. They face the Cowboys next week. If they win out, they are in provided that the Falcons and/or Bucs lose (or tie) at least one of their remaining 2 games.

Washington Redskins (7-7): While the Redskins are not mathematically-eliminated, they need much help with 2 weeks remaining. They need the Eagles, Bucs and Falcons to all lose their remaining games and the Bears to lose at least 1 game and win their 2 remaining games.

Continue reading "NFC Playoff Picture" »

December 13, 2008

Walter Jones to miss rest of season

Seattle Seahawks LT Walter Jones will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his knee. Jones missed last week's game against the Patriots and was expected to miss this week's game against the Rams.

Jones, who is now 34, has had two shoulder surgeries in the past two seasons. With the wear that Jones' body has taken over his 12-year career, The Olympian asks whether the Seahawks should use what will be a high draft pick in next year's draft to replace Jones.
"If you look at Walter Jones (as done), you're making a huge mistake, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "He has a little knee injury, but he was having a great year. He was on his way to the Pro Bowl again. He might still go to the Pro Bowl. I think around the league, he's still recognized as one of the guys.

"But every team has to look at how they're going to fix things. You don't want to get too many players too old. But I don't think he fits into that category. I think with Walter, as long as he's playing like he's playing, you let him play as long as he wants to play."
I agree with Holmgren, but I'm a firm believer that teams should draft the best player available in the first round regardless of position. And if that happens to be a LT like Alabama's Andre Smith, the 2008 recipient of the Outland Trophy, then he should become a Seahawk. And then fill in areas of need throughout the later rounds of the draft.

December 06, 2008

A look at the NFC playoff picture

As I did with every AFC team, we will take a look at all teams playoff aspirations for the NFC.

Here are the current NFC standings:
1. New York Giants (11-1)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
3. Minnesota Vikings (7-5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
5. Carolina Panthers (9-3)
6. Atlanta Falcons (8-4)
NFC East:

New York Giants (11-1): The Super Bowl champs are clearly (and unfortunately as a Cowboys fan) the team to beat in the NFC/NFL even without Plax. The Giants schedule is tough (PHI, at DAL, CAR, at MIN), but I can't see the Bucs/Panthers making up a 2-game deficit.

Dallas Cowboys (8-4): Entering the season, the Cowboys were the consensus pick in the NFC to reach the Super Bowl. Now with a month to go and perhaps the league's most challenging schedule (at PIT, NYG, BAL, at PHI), they would be on the outside looking in as the 7th team even though they share the same record with the Falcons.

Washington Redskins (7-5): The Redskins have stumbled lately losing 4 of their last 5. With the NFC South likely to have (at least) 1 team make playoffs, the 'Skins are fighting an uphill battle. If the 'Skins can beat the Ravens this week, they finish with a relatively easy final 3 games (at CIN, PHI, at SF).

Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1): After bouncing back against the Cardinals on Thanksgiving, the Eagles need to bounce back against division rivals. They are 0-3 vs NFC East on season, but get 3 more shots in remaining 4 weeks.

Continue reading "A look at the NFC playoff picture" »

Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones doubtful vs Pats?

Mike Holmgren decided to come back for one more season as Seattle Seahawks head coach. Decimated with injuries, the Seahawks are 2-10 on the season and Holmgren must be kicking himself. Although many didn't expect them to win the Super Bowl, they were (at a minimum) expected to compete for the NFC West division.

Yesterday, the Seahawks placed starting LG Mike Wahle on IR and Walter Jones is doubtful for the game against the Patriots. If Jones doesn't play, RT Sean Locklear would move to the left side. RG Ray Willis moves to RT and Mansfield Wrotto would start at RG.

Also, the Seahawks are likely without Matt Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace, who has taken all the snaps in practice, will start if Hasselbeck can't play.

Although Wallace completed only 53% of his passes in his 4 starts, he threw 5 TDs and only 1 INT in those games. In the past 3 weeks that Hasselbeck has started, Hasselbeck has thrown 3 TDs and 6 INTs.

I picked the Patriots to cover in this game in our Week 14 edition of The Weekly Blitz as did 2 of our other 4 analysts. On the season, I am 26-12-1 (68.4%) in picking games against the spread (ATS) and collectively our site is 118-73-4 ATS (61.8%).

The Patriots haven't lost back-to-back games since weeks 9 and 10 of 2006. I expect Matt Cassel and the Pats' aerial assault to light up the 32nd-ranked pass defense. Now, it will be even tougher for the Seahawks to win a shootout if Hasselbeck and Jones can't go.

November 10, 2008

Matt Hasselbeck to start vs Arizona?

The Seahawks could be 4 games behind Arizona after tonight's Cardinals-49ers game. If it's any consolation, the Seahawks should get Matt Hasselbeck back as starting QB.
"His experience -- he sees more things," Holmgren said. "He can get us out of a bad play maybe a little bit easier. I think any time you get a player back, at any position, I think you get a little boost."
In Hasselbeck's 4 games on the season, he's completed 49.2% of his passes and has thrown 4 INTs and only 2 TDs. But considering who he had at WR in those games, the numbers need to be put into perspective.

October 13, 2008

Gruden names Garcia starter vs Seattle

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden has named Jeff Garcia starting QB for this week's game.
“He’s going to start this week,” Gruden said. ”If he continues to play like Jeff Garcia, he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber guy. OK? I’ll put it that way. Brian [Griese] has an injury, we need him back. We’re one of the few teams in football who has [won] games with two different quarterbacks at this stage of the game, and we’re proud of those guys. We like all our quarterbacks.”
Since replacing Griese, Garcia has played extremely well completing over 75% of his passes in the past 2 games. On the season, Garcia has an 85.8 QB rating while Griese has a 64.6 QB rating.

September 07, 2008

NFC West Preview

ARIZONA CARDINALS
Prediction: 9-7 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview:Quick...who had the most 2nd-half passing TDs in the NFL in 2007? Tom Brady? Peyton Manning? Tony Romo? None of those. It was Kurt Warner. The Arizona Cardinals have the best offense in the NFC West. Kurt Warner was finally given the starting QB job that he deserved. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are the best 2 WRs in the NFC West and their RB duo of Edgerrin James and rookie Tim Hightower is solid. The defense is underrated with Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Cardinals have only had one winning season in the past 23 seasons, but 2008 will make it 2 in 24 years.

Interesting Stat/Fact: The Cardinals were the most penalized team in the NFL (137 penalties for 1,128 yards) in 2007.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 119-137 (.465)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at Washington, vs Dallas, at Seattle, vs NY Giants, at New England, vs Seattle

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 18 wins (6.0 per season)


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Prediction: 8-8 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: The Seattle Seahawks have won the NFC West every year from 2004-2007. Can the 'Hawks extend it one more season in what will be Mike Holmgren's final season? The Arizona Cardinals have the best offense in the division although I think the Seahawks have the best defense. With the injuries at WR (Bobby Engram, Deion Branch, Ben Obomanu) and the worst running attack in the NFC West with Maurice Morris and Julius Jones, I expect the Seahawks offense to sputter at times. The Seahawks have enough to challenge for a wildcard berth and even the division title, but I think their streak is over at 4 years.

Interesting Stat/Fact: Unlike the Cardinals, the Seahawks were the least penalized team in the NFL (59 penalties for 428 yards) in 2007.

Strength of Schedule: 2007 opponents were 122-134 (.477)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at NY Giants, vs Green Bay, at Tampa Bay, vs Washington, at Dallas, vs New England

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 32 wins (10.7 per season)


ST. LOUIS RAMS
Prediction: 5-11 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: Steven Jackson and Rams management engaged in an expensive game of chicken this pre-season, but Jackson has re-joined the Rams with a new deal. Without Jackson, the Rams would have been really awful. With Jackson, the Rams will be awful (not really awful). However, Marc Bulger and the Rams passing attack haven't been the same in the pre-season and last year as they once have been. In fact, it's not even close. Chris Long was a good draft pick at #2 and he will help make the defense stronger, but the defense still has a lot of weaknesses. And the Rams won't be able to put up enough points to compensate. It will be another rough year for the Rams.

Interesting Stat/Fact: Marc Bulger went from 24 TDs and 8 INTs in 2006 to 11 TDs and 15 INTs in 2007. Will it be the 2007 or the 2006 Bulger in 2008?

Strength of Schedule: 125-131 (.488)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): vs NY Giants, at Seattle, at Washington, vs Dallas, at New England, vs Seattle

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 17 wins (5.7 per season)


SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Prediction: 4-12 | Team Home | Team Forum | Team Schedule

Overview: Mike Martz is widely-regarded as an offensive genius. But can he work his magic with the lack of weapons in the Niners' passing game? The 49ers start Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson at WR and J.T. O'Sullivan at QB. TE Vernon Davis has a ton of potential although TEs don't typically put up big numbers in a Martz' offense. That being said, Davis has the potential to be used as a WR. With Davis' TE size and WR speed, the possibilities are scary for DBs. Will Frank Gore be used similarly to how Marshall Faulk was used? There are a lot of question marks on offense although the defense should be healthy and solid. How many games will they lose 9-6? I think too many.

Interesting Stat/Fact: 26 - # of career pass attempts for J.T. O'Sullivan, who replaces #1 overall draft pick Alex Smith

Strength of Schedule: 124-132 (.484)

2007 Playoff Teams on Schedule (6): at Seattle, vs New England, at NY Giants, vs Seattle, at Dallas, vs Washington

# of Wins Past 3 Years: 16 wins (5.3 per season)