Sunday, August 29, 2010

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXIV

Welcome to our 99th edition of the FDH Fantasy Newsletter, as we continue to bring you weekly fantasy sports updates in addition to our usual content on FantasyDrafthelp.com. Our archive of past editions is available right here on The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog and specific links to past editions are available on the front page of FantasyDrafthelp.com.

We have completed our serialization of our FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 guide, but it continues to be without doubt your #1 draft day resource.

This week, we bring you our revisions to our draft guide through the third week of exhibition games:

FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY Training Camp Updates

These are the following revisions to our draft board in FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 since it went to press on August 1 (anytime a player is listed as making any kind of move, other players in the proximity on the board should be assumed as rising or falling one spot per move accordingly):

QB UP
Jake Delhomme: from off the board to 18
Matt Cassel: from off the board to 26

QB DOWN
Matt Leinart: from 15 to off the board

RB UP
CJ Spiller: from 29 to 21
Jahvid Best: from 34 to 27
Arian Foster: from 41 to 28
LaDainian Tomlinson: from off the board to 33
Leon Washington: from off the board to 37
Mike Bell: from off the board to 44

RB DOWN
Knowshon Moreno: from 10 to 13
Ben Tate: from 42 to off the board

WR UP
Terrell Owens: from 35 to 28
Jacoby Jones: from 50 to 39
Mike Williams: from off the board to 51
Nate Burleson: from 48 to 41
Chris Chambers: from 58 to 43
Bernard Berrian: from 59 to 32

WR DOWN
Larry Fitzgerald: from 4 to 8
Sidney Rice: from 7 to 58
Vincent Jackson : from 17 to 21
Percy Harvin: from 29 to 40
Donnie Avery: from 64 to off the board

Sunday, August 22, 2010

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXIII

Welcome to our 98th edition of the FDH Fantasy Newsletter, as we continue to bring you weekly fantasy sports updates in addition to our usual content on FantasyDrafthelp.com. Our archive of past editions is available right here on The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog and specific links to past editions are available on the front page of FantasyDrafthelp.com.

We have completed our serialization of our FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 guide, but it continues to be without doubt your #1 draft day resource.

This week, we bring you suggested league guidelines and a draft board for the 2010 College Football Team Draft.

2010 College Football Team Draft Guidelines

Take 6 owners and conduct a 7-round standard draft. Points will be assigned at four intervals: when the September 26 Associated Press poll is released, when the October 31 Associated Press poll is released, when the December 5 Associated Press poll is released and when the final BCS poll is released after the national championship game. The September 26 poll accounts for 20% of the total score (with the exception of the bonus points, which are mentioned below), the October 31 poll accounts for 20% of the total score, the December 5 poll accounts for 20% of the total score and the final BCS poll accounts for 40% of the total score.

For the first three polls, scoring is as follows: 1st place (50 points), 2nd place (45 points), 3rd place (43 points), 4th place (42 points), 5th place (41 points), 6th place (38 points), 7th place (37 points), 8th place (36 points), 9th place (35 points), 10th place (34 points), 11th place (30 points), 12th place (29 points), 13th place (28 points), 14th place (27 points), 15th place (26 points), 16th place (22 points), 17th place (21 points), 18th place (20 points), 19th place (19 points), 20th place (18 points), 21st place (13 points), 22nd place (12 points), 23rd place (11 points), 24th place (10 points), 25th place (9 points).

Points are doubled in the final poll, since it accounts for twice the point total of each of the three previous ones. Additional bonuses are awarded for the following accomplishments: 25 points for winning the BCS Title Game, 10 points for earning a spot in the BCS Title Game, 10 points for a conference title (or piece of one), 12 points for winning a BCS Bowl Game, 6 points for earning a spot in a BCS Bowl Game, 5 points for winning a non-BCS bowl game, 10 points for having the Heisman Trophy winner on one of your teams.

2010 College Football Team Draft Board

TOP TIER
1 Alabama
SECOND TIER
2 Ohio State
3 Boise State
THIRD TIER
4 Texas
5 Florida
6 TCU
7 Nebraska
8 Virginia Tech
9 Oregon
10 Iowa
11 Oklahoma
FOURTH TIER
12 USC
13 Miami
14 Wisconsin
FIFTH TIER
15 North Carolina
16 Georgia Tech
17 Pittsburgh
18 Arkansas
19 Florida State
20 LSU
21 Penn State
SIXTH TIER
22 Georgia
23 Auburn
24 Cincinnati
25 West Virginia
26 Oregon State
SEVENTH TIER
27 Utah
28 Houston
29 UConn
30 Notre Dame
31 South Carolina
32 Navy
33 Temple
34 Missouri
35 Stanford
36 California
37 Texas A&M
38 Arizona
39 Washington
40 Middle Tenn St
41 BYU

Saturday, August 14, 2010

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXII

Welcome to our 97th edition of the FDH Fantasy Newsletter, as we continue to bring you weekly fantasy sports updates in addition to our usual content on FantasyDrafthelp.com. Our archive of past editions is available right here on The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog and specific links to past editions are available on the front page of FantasyDrafthelp.com.

We have completed our serialization of our FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 guide, but it continues to be without doubt your #1 draft day resource.

This week, we review our 7th annual FDH Fantasy Football Mock Draft show.

Review of 7th annual FDH Fantasy Football Mock Draft show

On last week’s 114th edition of THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com), we gave over the entire show to THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER as we conducted our 7th annual FDH Fantasy Football Mock Draft show. It’s worth noting that we had conducted a previous mock draft – with accompanying analysis – in FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010, but this draft allows another look at this year’s landscape. This one involved some very special guests who have previously appeared on our program.

Here’s the format we used: it's 12 owners, 11 rounds, with 2 QB, 3 RB, 3 WR, 1 RB/WR flex, 1 TE, 1 K (D/ST was dropped due to time constraints with the broadcast). It is a "Draftmaster Format," where there are no transactions past the draft date and EVERY player selected would be used every week.

Scoring is as follows: 4 points per passing TD, 1 point per 25 yards passing, 1 point per passing 2-point PAT, 6 points per receiving or rushing TD, 1 point per 10 yards rushing or receiving, 2 points per rushing or receiving 2-point PAT, 2 points per “big play touchdown” (50 or more yards), 1 point per kicking PAT, 3 points per FG, with a 1-point bonus at 45 yards, a 2-point bonus at 50 yards and a 3-point bonus at 55 yards.

Here’s how the draw for our standard serpentine draft went:

1 Charles Latibeaudiere, co-executive producer of TMZ on TV
2 Russ Cohen of Sportsology and Card Corner Club
3 Jim Louderback, CEO of the Internet TV network Revision3
4 FDH Lounge Dignitary Nate Noy
5 FDH Managing Partner Rick Morris
6 FDH Entertainment Editor Samantha Jones
7 Joe Staszak, sportscaster at Fox 29 in Philadelphia
8 Evan Roberts, talk show host at WFAN in New York
9 FDH Lounge Dignitary Jeff Maslanich
10 FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones
11 FDH Chief NASCAR Correspondent Mike Ptak
12 FDH Senior Producer Steve Cirvello

Here’s how the draft evolved, with our analysis appearing between rounds:

ROUND ONE
1 Charles: Chris Johnson
2 Russ: Adrian Peterson
3 Jim: Maurice Jones-Drew
4 Nate: Ray Rice
5 Rick: Frank Gore
6 Samm: Michael Turner
7 Joe: Steven Jackson
8 Evan: Shonn Greene
9 Jeff: Andre Johnson
10 Jason: DeAngelo Williams
11 Mike: Drew Brees
12 Steve: Larry Fitzgerald

NOTES: There was only one real surprise, but it was a doozy, as Jet fan Evan rolled the dice on Shonn Greene in the first round. Will LT be satisfied with the microscopic role he would have to play to allow for Greene to attain that kind of production? Stay tuned.

ROUND TWO
12 Steve: Ryan Grant
11 Mike: Rashard Mendenhall
10 Jason: Randy Moss
9 Jeff: Reggie Wayne
8 Evan: Peyton Manning
7 Joe: Aaron Rodgers
6 Samm: Calvin Johnson
5 Rick: Roddy White
4 Nate: Matt Schaub
3 Jim: Miles Austin
2 Russ: Greg Jennings
1 Charles: Philip Rivers

NOTES: No RB for Jeff in his first two picks? Wow. Joe’s selection of Rodgers at this point put in point circumstances – exacerbated with Nate’s pick of Schaub and Charles taking Rivers – that quickly led to owners having to decide between taking a top QB earlier than they planned or passing on them altogether.

ROUND THREE
1 Charles: DeSean Jackson
2 Russ: Ryan Mathews
3 Jim: Tony Romo
4 Nate: Sidney Rice
5 Rick: Tom Brady
6 Samm: Marques Colston
7 Joe: Steve Smith CAR
8 Evan: Brandon Marshall
9 Jeff: Knowshon Moreno
10 Jason: Anquan Boldin
11 Mike: Jamaal Charles
12 Steve: Carson Palmer

NOTES: Nate proved – as he would emphatically repeat later – that he wasn’t concerned at all about whether Brett Favre will play this year. While Rick finished off what is conventionally thought to be the top tier at QB (with the exception of Favre), Steve still decided to hit that position at the end of the round. Charles proved to be a good bargain because of concerns about the potential role of Thomas Jones in KC. Knowshon Moreno is Jeff’s first RB? Better hope he’s going to be healthy!

ROUND FOUR
12 Steve: Dallas Clark
11 Mike: Chad Ochocinco
10 Jason: Cedric Benson
9 Jeff: Matt Forte
8 Evan: Beanie Wells
7 Joe: Pierre Thomas
6 Samm: Joseph Addai
5 Rick: Antonio Gates
4 Nate: Pierre Garson
3 Jim: Steve Smith NYG
2 Russ: LeSean McCoy
1 Charles: Michael Crabtree

NOTES: And there go the tight ends, as Steve starts with his pick right off the bat. Matt Forte, excessively hated-on because of his performance a year ago, was a great value for Jeff. Steve Smith aside, three of the last four picks of the round were big searches for upside.

ROUND FIVE
1 Charles: Brent Celek
2 Russ: Dwayne Bowe
3 Jim: Vernon Davis
4 Nate: Brett Favre
5 Rick: Jonathan Stewart
6 Samm: Jason Witten
7 Joe: Jermichael Finley
8 Evan: Tony Gonzalez
9 Jeff: Mike Wallace
10 Jason: Ronnie Brown
11 Mike: Vincent Jackson
12 Steve: Brandon Jacobs

NOTES: Nate put his money where his mouth was with Favre, getting the top QB2 in the league by far and depriving those who still were still waiting for their top hurler of the opportunity to pick him. The TEs kept flying off the shelves, with late gambles (Mike Wallace in terms of continued development and Vincent Jackson in terms of availability) existing alongside solid RB values (Ronnie Brown and Brandon Jacobs).

ROUND SIX
12 Steve: Robert Meachem
11 Mike: Kellen Winslow, Jr.
10 Jason: Terrell Owens
9 Jeff: Marion Barber
8 Evan: Mike Sims-Walker
7 Joe: Mario Manningham
6 Samm: TJ Houshmandzadeh
5 Rick: Donald Driver
4 Nate: Felix Jones
3 Jim: CJ Spiller
2 Russ: Donovan McNabb
1 Charles: Ahmad Bradshaw

NOTES: Terrell Owens? Marion Barber before Felix Jones? Mario Manningham before Hakeem Nicks? This was indeed the round for living dangerously, but it couldn’t obscure Rick’s sublime value in Donald Driver.

ROUND SEVEN
1 Charles: Kevin Kolb
2 Russ: Hakeem Nicks
3 Jim: Hines Ward
4 Nate: Ricky Williams
5 Rick: Eli Manning
6 Samm: Joe Flacco
7 Joe: Matt Ryan
8 Evan: Matt Leinart
9 Jeff: Chad Henne
10 Jason: Jay Cutler
11 Mike: Kenny Britt
12 Steve: Ben Roethlisberger

NOTES: Russ’s pick of Donovan McNabb late in the previous round as his QB1 triggered a strong run in this run on QBs as some owners went for their second one (Charles, Rick, Joe, Evan, Steve) and others had to scramble for their first (Samm, Jason and Jeff).

ROUND EIGHT
12 Steve: Arian Foster
11 Mike: Jerome Harrison
10 Jason: Dez Bryant
9 Jeff: Wes Welker
8 Evan: Cadillac Williams
7 Joe: Nate Kaeding
6 Samm: Thomas Jones
5 Rick: Reggie Bush
4 Nate: Steve Breaston
3 Jim: Clinton Portis
2 Russ: Matthew Stafford
1 Charles: David Akers

NOTE: Jeff’s selection of Wes Welker could go down as the best value in the draft if he is 100% healthy by Opening Day. Steve and Mike made high-upside picks on RBs who could be the lead backs for their teams. Joe was “That Guy” in taking the first kicker.

ROUND NINE
1 Charles: Derrick Mason
2 Russ: Jahvid Best
3 Jim: Santana Moss
4 Nate: Braylon Edwards
5 Rick: Ryan Longwell
6 Samm: Mark Sanchez
7 Joe: Devery Henderson
8 Evan: Jerricho Cotchery
9 Jeff: David Garrard [NOTE: Michael Bush was the initial selection, but in the process of coordinating the draft and the broadcast, it was not caught until after the draft that he needed one more QB, not RB. At that time, this pick was made.]
10 Jason: Matt Hasselbeck
11 Mike: Antonio Bryant
12 Steve: Johnny Knox

NOTES: Derrick Mason … Santana Moss … Braylon Edwards … how the mighty have fallen. Jahvid was the “Best” rookie value of the draft. The Antonio Bryant pick led to the joke about the Bengal spread and about how he’ll put such a bad taste in the mouth of the nickelback, he’ll think he’s listening to Nickelback.

ROUND TEN
12 Steve: Willis McGahee
11 Mike: Mason Crosby
10 Jason: Stephen Gostkowski
9 Jeff: Rob Bironas
8 Evan: Fred Jackson
7 Joe: Steve Slaton
6 Samm: LaDainian Tomlinson
5 Rick: Justin Forsett
4 Nate: Visanthe Shiancoe
3 Jim: Garrett Hartley
2 Russ: Owen Daniels
1 Charles: Donald Brown

NOTES: Joe and Rick got pretty good explosiveness upside in Steve Slaton and Justin Forsett, respectively. Nate just kept doubling down on the Vikings like there was no tomorrow.

ROUND ELEVEN
1 Charles: Jeremy Maclin
2 Russ: Robbie Gould
3 Jim: Alex Smith
4 Nate: Lawrence Tynes
5 Rick: Percy Harvin
6 Samm: Jeff Reed
7 Joe: Jacoby Jones
8 Evan: Matt Prater
9 Jeff: Dan Carpenter
10 Jason: Greg Olsen
11 Mike: Vince Young
12 Steve: Jay Feely

NOTES: The Jacoby Jones pick could be good, provided that he no longer has the hands of January Jones. Percy Harvin dropped further in this draft than he has in many others this year.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXI

Welcome to our 96th edition of the FDH Fantasy Newsletter, as we continue to bring you weekly fantasy sports updates in addition to our usual content on FantasyDrafthelp.com. Our archive of past editions is available right here on The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog and specific links to past editions are available on the front page of FantasyDrafthelp.com.

In this week's edition, we continuing to serialize our brand-new FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 guide with a tangible application of draft theory.

Application of Draft Theory with FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones

At FDH, we look forward to all sports that can be applied in a fantasy sense — which, for us is limitless, but that is a comment for another time. With the football season in sight, it's time to prepare for draft season. Most experts would have you believe a litany of absolutes; I have only one. Every fantasy football season, draft, and league are different...don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Whether it’s Randy Moss going from Oakland to New England or Peyton Manning coming off a 48-TD season, situations affect where we draft players. This is even more true in this season than at any other point in recent memory. It is my plan to take you on a journey through an ACTUAL draft. This will illustrate "market value" for players while highlighting the players who can be had at fair-valued prices, relatively speaking.

We are clearly not planting an adventurous flag anywhere when we say that Chris Johnson should be the undisputed #1 pick. However, ask yourself, "when was the last time a guy went for 2,000 yds and did not disappoint the following season?" I'm not saying that you should not select Chris Johnson at #1, I'm just saying don't expect 2,000 yds and 15 TD. With 1,400yds and 18 TD and no sign of slowing down, I say fumbling be damned! Take Adrian Peterson 2nd overall and be happy to do it.

Once you get past #2 overall, the variance really begins. That's right, by the 3rd pick overall, someone will disagree with your picks. According to the composite draft results, the next four picks were almost unanimous: #3 Maurice Jones-Drew (1,700 total yds and 16 TD), #4 Ray Rice (2,000 total yds and eight TD), #5 Michael Turner (900 total yds and ten TD — and if you think he won't improve on that by well over 30%, then sleep on him if you want) and #6 Frank Gore (1,500 total yds and 13 total TD). I would like to add that according to my board, I have Frank Gore and Michael Turner flipped. Matt Ryan and Roddy White are two types of players that aren't in San Fran. Push comes to shove, the Niners are going to lean on Frank Gore drastically, more so than Atlanta will with Turner. With that in mind, Michael Turner should not last longer than 7th overall.

This is generally about where owners start to get froggy and jump on WR's. If you're looking to lock up at least one first-round grade RB, I recommend you do not jump ship just yet. Keep in mind, while St. Louis is still very, very bad, they still lean on Steven Jackson who had 1,700 total yds last season. DeAngelo Williams is still on the board coming off a relatively bad year of 1,300 yds and seven TD, with Jonathan Stewart stealing the red zone touches. #7 Steven Jackson and #8 DeAngelo Williams go in succession to effectively end the run on reliable first round running backs.

#9 is Andre Johnson, the unquestioned #1 WR should absolutely come off the board between 6-10. In my humble opinion, he is only one of two who have any business in the first round and that is only if you believe in Randy Moss in 2010. Andre Johnson had the most receiving yards by over 220 yards (with Wes Welker at 1,348). Now granted, you could hold out for Randy Moss and his 13 TD on the swingaround, but chances are he won't last that long unless you are picking 10th, 11th, or 12th in the first round.

Now comes the part of the first/second round where you have to make a decision. Do you side with upside and potential or do you prefer proven track record and the safe pick? You are either Ryan Matthews (R), Rashard Mendenhall, Shonn Greene and Jamaal Charles or you are Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. For the next round and change, you are specifically one or the other. As it were the next 14 picks go as follows: #10 Randy Moss (1,300 yds and 13 TD), #11 Aaron Rodgers (4,400 yds and 30TD/seven INT), #12 Ryan Matthews (Rookie), #13 Rashard Mendenhall (1,300 total yds and eight TD), #14 Reggie Wayne (1,200 yds and ten TD), #15 Larry Fitzgerald (1,100yds and 13 TD), # 16 Shonn Greene (600 yds and two TD — it should be noted that Greene has all but won the starting job, whereas he split carries with Thomas Jones in 2009), #17 Calvin Johnson (1,000 yds and five TD), #18 Drew Brees (4,400 yds and 34 TD/11 INT), #19 Ryan Grant (1,400 total yds and 11 TD), #20 Roddy White (1,100 yds and 11 TD), #21 Peyton Manning (4,500 yds and 33 TD/16 INT), #22 Jamaal Charles (1,400 total yds and eight TD -- it should be noted that the reason Shonn Greene's numbers are low may be the same reason that Charles' number might take a hit, with the common factor being Thomas Jones), #23 Miles Austin (1,300 yds and 11 TD) and #24 Brandon Marshall (1,100 yds and ten TD -- keep in mind, whether it was minor injury or Josh McDaniel's ego...Marshall missed two games and had less than five receptions in five other games and also, Miami hasn't had a legit #1 WR since...O.J. McDuffie...?).

From here on out, we will hit only the highlights. But after seeing that first and second round, the wheels in your head should already be spinning around the idea of who is still on the board and then how far guys are going to fall. Before we move on, the big three QBs are off the board and it is safe to assume that QBs 4-8 may take as much as 3-5 rounds to come off the board. RBs are starting to get picked over, however, the value of post-2nd round RBs is still very deep. Since the teams involved went RB-heavy in the first two rounds, the occurrence of RBs taken over the next few rounds should be slightly less frequent. WR should be the position of concern. Most owners will defer to the RB/RB approach in the first two rounds. The problem with that is all of the owners who do that are going to throw value out of the window in order to grab WRs. TE is unpicked and so is D/ST and K. I have special notes about some of the following players in brackets.

25 Cedric Benson-with the addition of T.O. and TE Jermaine Gresham, Benson should have holes [Palmer, OchoCinco, T.O., Gresham = balance and plenty of holes and no stacking the box].
26 Sidney Rice — Favre's favorite target...if Favre plays.
27 Marques Colston -- Brees spreads the love, but Colston gets the bulk of it.
28 Steve Smith (CAR) — Off year, but talent-wise, S.Smith is still a top 10 WR [ With M. Moore, they will rely on the run more opening up big time play potential for Smith].
29 DeSean Jackson — He makes plays, but this is too rich for my blood [McNabb is in Washington, is Jackson the same player with Kevin Kolb?].
30 Greg Jennings — Probably the most underrated starting fantasy WR [The #1 WR on a team with best statistical QB from last season].
31 Knowshon Moreno -- Denver is in transition, but Moreno is a major part in 2010 [Mixing in Tebow, D.Thomas replaces Marshall...Knowshon will be the only constant].
32 Matt Schaub — Look at the numbers, he should be a 2nd round pick by the stats.
33 Steve Smith (NYG) -- Seriously, he's a possession WR#2 that had a good season.
34 Pierre Thomas — Overrated last year, I like him better in this range, but still too high [N.O. spreads the ball like no other team, short of Brees, no Saint is worth going very high].
35 Beanie Wells — If healthy, he's a punishing back with Top 20 talent [Boldin has moved on and Leinart is under center; they NEED Wells to figure it out].
36 Tony Romo — Way too high for me, but Miles Austin and Dez Bryant could be sick.
37 Dallas Clark — Coming off a great year, but if the other TEs progress back, he's just another top one.
38 Jahvid Best — I've seen Best go as high as 17th, but I'm still not convinced he's the featured back [Detroit is hoping he is Chris Johnson...that is a HUGE leap of faith. If he's the guy, he'll take a beating unless Kevin Smith is still a major factor with the carries.].
39 Joseph Addai — Great example of 100% of the carries divided by two, I wouldn't touch either Indy RB [With Peyton, Wayne, Clark, Garcon and Gonzalez, Addai AT BEST is the 5th-best offensive option.].
40 Vernon Davis — Finally lived up to the hype in '09, lets see if he can do it two years in a row.
41 Antonio Gates — This is great value for Gates! He had an off year but he's the most consistent TE.
42 Anquan Boldin -- Months from now, Boldin in the 40s may be the value pick of the draft [Boldin is the man now in Baltimore. Flacco can sling the pigskin. With the running game of the Ravens, look for Boldin to return to his form of 2005 (1,400 yds/seven TD). There will be opportunity; I expect Boldin to be the steal of the draft.].
43 Jonathan Stewart — Last year's "Vulture" award winner, no more Delhomme may increase carries.
44 Chad OchoCinco — He's still a Top 20 WR...as long as T.O. doesn't take too many of his receptions [One of two things will happen, either Cincy will have the most explosive offense or Ocho OR Owens will have a great season, but not both. Let’s hope for the former.].
45 LeSean McCoy — Decent rookie season, but if he falls, the value would be worth it.
46 Tom Brady -- This is nuts. 46?! Tom Brady will be an all-time great, top four QB at worst.
47 Ronnie Brown -- Wow, this is a reach. There is a Miami RB worth 47, but it’s not Ronnie Brown.
48 Felix Jones — Even if he's everything Jerry Jones wants him to be, he's a minority-carry back. [Barber is still the guy at least 60+% of the time, and with Dez and Austin, I just don't like Felix Jones' chances of being the Marshall Faulk-type X-Factor that Jerry Jones thinks he is.].
49 Philip Rivers — Not bad, but I'm skeptical of SD's offense, with no prime-level LT and Vincent Jackson on the fence.
50 Jermichael Finley — I like the upside, but there is no way I would draft Finley ahead of Jason Witten.
51 Brett Favre -- Like last season, if Favre plays this is a STEAL [With Favre, Minnesota is a legit contender. If he plays, he is still a Top Ten fantasy QB.].
52 Jason Witten -- Most yards by a TE, but has to have a better season in the red zone.
53 Hakeem Nicks — He should make the ascension this season, putting S. Smith back at #2 [With the Giants, something has got to give. This should be the season where the young Nicks and Manningham ascend to give the Giants a new dynamic.].
54 Percy Harvin — He is one of those "X-Factor" offensive players. He should improve on '09.
55 Hines Ward — Big Ben or not, Ward is the man until Wallace figures it out completely.
56 Michael Crabtree -- Gore and the addition of Ginn might allow Crabtree to get to the next level [It’s a really interesting offense in Frisco. Alex Smith is given another chance. Gore and V. Davis have proven their worth, now its time for the young and physically gifted tandem of Crabtree and Ginn, Jr to earn their keep. Crabtree, at least, should do it almost immediately.].
57 Dwayne Bowe — He had promise in '08 and regressed in '09. Let’s hope he get back to 08 form [Like Carolina, KC is transitioning to a running team for the betterment of the offense. Charles and Jones make a formidable duo, which should open up opportunities for Bowe. He just needs to capitalize on those opportunities when they come up.].
58 Matt Forte --This is re-DONK-u-lous value. Forte was a top 5 player going into last year. [When did we forget about the sophomore slump? Forte is a legit fantasy cornerstone. Owners should let him out of the doghouse. The situation hasn't changed, but Forte WILL HAVE a better season.].
59 Mike Sims-Walker -- He was a great waiver-wire pickup, but I need to see more from him.
60 Reggie Bush — Not much consistency as a fantasy back, hope he's a flex or backup for this team.

NOTABLE VALUE PICKS AFTER THE TOP 60
(target these guys with the right value)
-Tony Gonzalez
-Ricky Williams
-Donald Driver
-Santana Moss
-Pierre Garcon
-Joe Flacco
-TJ Houshmandzadeh
-Wes Welker
-Ben Roethlisberger
-C.J. Spiller
-Marion Barber
-Steve Slaton
-Carson Palmer

NOTABLE WORTHWHILE REACHES
(they could fall and you should jump on it)
-Brandon Jacobs
-Jeremy Maclin
-Brent Celek
-Vincent Jackson (only if the value is REALLY good)
-Owen Daniels
-Kellen Winslow
-Terrell Owens
-Donovan McNabb
-Dez Bryant
-Braylon Edwards
-Anthony Gonzalez (keep in mind he was out 90% of
the season)

NOTABLE GUYS I WOULDN'T TOUCH IF I WAS
DRAFTING FOR THE ENEMY
-Jay Cutler
-Michael Bush
-Justin Forsett
-Thomas Jones
-LaDainian Tomlinson
-Devin Hester
-Donald Brown
-Marshawn Lynch
-Roy Williams

MY RESULTS FROM THIS DRAFT
QB Brett Favre
RB Steven Jackson
RB Matt Forte
WR Larry Fitzgerald
WR Brandon Marshall
WR Anquan Boldin
TE Jason Witten
K David Akers
DEF Baltimore

Sunday, August 01, 2010

FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 is here!

With the help of our good friends in The 21st Century Media Alliance (Sportsology, Card Corner Club and 1st Down Scouting), FantasyDrafthelp.com and The FDH Lounge are very proud to unveil FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010, your guide to everything fantasy -- and beyond -- for the 2010 season.

Here's the full rundown of everything you will experience inside of our compact yet complete guide for this autumn:

Page 1: Draft Philosophy Overview, Top 60 Overall
Page 2: QB Rankings, Draft Board Decoder, Injury Analysis
Page 3: RB Rankings, K Rankings
Page 4: RB Rankings, Lessons of “The Stat”
Page 5: D/ST Rankings, Projected Breakthroughs, Overvalued & Undervalued Players, Suggested League Guidelines, Rookie Rankings, 2010 Wild Card Players
Page 6: WR Rankings, Panini America NFL Trading Cards announcement
Page 7: WR Rankings, Don’t Be That Guy
Pages 7-8, 11: 2010 Fantasy Overview
Page 8: TE Rankings, FDH College Rankings & Team Draft Guidelines
Pages 9-10: 2010 FDH Mock Draft & Analysis
Page 10: 2010 FDH Standings/Playoff Predictions
Page 11: Best Values from 2010 NFL Draft
Page 12: Top Undrafted Players from 2010 NFL Draft
Pages 13-15: Application of Draft Theory with FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones
Page 16: FDH Lounge Celebrity Pigskin Interview Clips (Steve Sabol, Dhani Jones and Kenny Albert)

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXX

Welcome to our 95th edition of the FDH Fantasy Newsletter, as we continue to bring you weekly fantasy sports updates in addition to our usual content on FantasyDrafthelp.com. Our archive of past editions is available right here on The FantasyDrafthelp.com Blog and specific links to past editions are available on the front page of FantasyDrafthelp.com.

In this week's edition, we continuing to serialize our brand-new FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010 guide and as such, we bring you our Injury Risks, Projected Breakthroughs and Rookie Rankings.

Injury Risks

High: Jake Delhomme, Laurence Maroney, Darren McFadden, Steve Slaton

Medium: Jahvid Best, Ronnie Brown, Chris Cooley, Owen Daniels, Montario Hardesty, Steve Smith (Carolina), Matt Hasselbeck, Wes Welker, Beanie Wells, Cadillac Williams

Low: Anthony Gonzalez, Willie Parker

Projected Breakthroughs

QB: Joe Flacco, Chad Henne, Kevin Kolb, Matt Leinart, Matt Ryan

RB: Justin Forsett, Shonn Greene, Felix Jones, LeSean McCoy, Knowshon Moreno, Beanie Wells

WR: Michael Crabtree, Pierre Garcon, Mike Wallace

TE: Jermichael Finley

Rookie Rankings

1 Ryan Mathews
2 CJ Spiller
3 Jahvid Best
4 Dez Bryant
5 Jermaine Gresham
6 Ben Tate
7 Montario Hardesty
8 DeMaryius Thomas
9 Golden Tate
10 Arrelious Benn