It's Never Too Early To Talk About Football

In My Humble Opinion
1

In my humble opinion.

I love it so much I’m already thinking about my fantasy league.

I play in a yardage focused league (rather than touchdowns), so running backs and receivers are the prime real estate.

My husband asked me yesterday that if I had the first pick overall (which I won’t, since I was in the superbowl last year), who would I pick?

I’m stumped.

I mean I was lucky last year to have Mike Anderson, who came from out of nowhere to be great, and I had Tony Gonzalez who did me well.

But who would you pick overall, first round? Marshall Faulk was a big points getter, but I hear he had surgery in the off season. Terrell Davis is on and off, as is Ricky Williams. And Mike Anderson won’t be a starter until Terrell gets hurt.

Edgerrin James is what I said. What do you think? Or should I take a receiver?

jarbaby

2

I would go with a running back. Since you won’t have the top pick and will be picking later, I would choose Ricky Williams. I am biased since I was at UT when he got the Heisman, but he is definitely one of the most talented players. He was never injury prone in college, even though he has been the last two years. I just think he could breakout in a big way this year.

I would be very reluctant to take Terrell Davis.

I think Edgerrin James or Marshall Faulk would be a good pick for first overall.

If your league rules value passing stats, I would go with Peyton Manning.

3

Yeah. I do need a good quarterback, but nobody seems to draft them right out of the box. everyone snags all the running backs.

I was stuck with Mark Brunell last year, and even though he’s cute and loves God and everything…

HE SUCKED. My god. My God, he just BARELY got me into the playoffs.

Yikes.

4

Is Rich Gannon still Oakland’s quarterback? If so, he would be an alright choice later on. They have good receivers, even though they are old. He also had a pretty good year last year.

Dante Culpepper might not have such a good year next year if Randy Moss doesn’t play for them. I hear he is asking for 100 million dollars which sounds ridiculous for a football player.

Also, I keep think Drew Bledsoe will regain some of his previous all-pro form, but I am starting to wonder.
I kind of wonder where people will draft Michael Vick. He will probably get a decent amount of playing time. He will probably run for a ton of yards and get a several rushing touchdowns. I can’t see him completing a good percentage of his passes, but he throws the longball well.

5

Here’s all I’ve got to say about football (this time of year, anyway):

[Happy Schnapps Combo]
The Bears still suck
The Bears still suck
The Bears still suck
The Bears still suck
They really really really really really really SUCK,
Yes the Bears still suck.
[Happy Schnapps Combo]

Thank you. :smiley:

6

You can’t go wrong with Eddie George.

7

I would take Marshall Faulk, particularly if running backs get points for both rushing and receiving yardage (I assume they do). Faulk is in the center of a high powered offense and his receiving yards, in my mind, give him the edge over the other running backs.

8

Not exactly Marshall Faulk but…

I just read this morning that Garrison Hearst is practicing with the 49ers again. He’s yet to wear pads or take hits, but he’s running well after a 2 year recovery from a bad ankle break.

I certainly wouldn’t rank him high, but I’m planning on watching him over the summer and if he stays healthy I’ll snag him in a lower round and hope for a diamond in the rough.

Charlie Garner, who has filled in for Hearst the last two seasons has signed with Oakland. He may be a good pick too, but Oakland tends to run-by-committee sometimes so you never know.

9

Well, that’s the bitch of it. In my ‘big money’ league ($600 pot), receiving yardage counts for NOTHING. Just rushing…which is a rule we’re trying to have changed.

Eddie George…I forgot about him.

Would any rookies be worth the risk?

jarbaby

10

Possible long shot: Thomas Jones, #3 in line for the Heisman in 1999 behind Chris Weinke and Mike Vick, had only a so-so season as a rookie last year, but he’s got a lot of talent and might have put on a little more muscle. And he’s playing for the Cards, which means that if he has one great game early on, Pittman is going to get the bench and Jones will take 35 carries a game for the rest of the season.

A nice desperation pick, if absolutely nobody is left.

11

Not only is it too early to talk about football, it’s too early to even think about football. Why would you want to think about the Bears this long before you had to? That’s just going to be depressing…and I either break down in laughter or tears when I think about Cade McNown being the starting QB…

If you want to talk about the Illini, on the other hand… :wink:

Hmm…running backs…Jamal Lewis (Baltimore), Eddie George, Warrick Dunn (the f***in’ Bucs)

If you’re looking for a rookie, maybe take a flyer on Anthony Thomas, unless you’re going to lose points for fumbles. (And, yes, as an Illinois fan, I’m still bitter about that. Extremely bitter.)

12

Daunte should have a great year because he will still have Moss and Carter this year. Providing Michael Bennet(boom or bust…hint, hint) can deliver… Personally, I’m leaning towards bust but he bears watching in the pre-season. (Whatever happened to Leroy Hoard???)

Eddie George no longer has Lorenzo Neal blocking for him so there may be an impact there.

Marshall Faulk is just plain dangerous. I would guess his receiving touchdowns still count in your league even if his yardage doesn’t.

An observation on Randy Moss.

We all know Moss is looking for 100 million dollars…

And we know that the almighty Favre and Drew Bledsoe both have contracts over the 100 million dollar mark.

Do you know what the difference is between Favre/Bledsoe and Moss?

Moss thinks he should get paid the whole 100 million.

Favre and Bledsoe know full well they won’t play out this contract, at least not how it is structured right now.

Bring on da Bears!!! bring on da Vikes!!! Bring on da Lions!!! Screw da Bucs…you’re leaving anyway.

13

Whooo boy, I haven’t even started to analyze what I will do this year in Fantasy Football … But for RB’s I’d have to agree with the Edgerrin James & Marshall faulk folks. James over Faulk in my book.

Gannon at QB? Bah!! I would only go this route if pre-season shows the Raiders with a Passing Game … which is generally not their style. While Gannon surprised me last year, he was slow to warm up, passing yards are not spectacular. Girbac maybe.

When I think Raiders (which is often since they are MY MEN), I can only think Field Goals and therefore Janikowski if your league uses kickers.

Just Win Baby. :smiley:

14

No offense, but this is a dumb rule, IMHO.

What’s the yardage factors, anyway? How much for rushing, receiving, passing? I take it that passing yards aren’t worth as much, because they’re easier to come by.
**

Not in the first! Rookies are almost never worth it in the first, particularly quarterbacks. Rare exceptions might include James and Moss, but really, a rookie has to play to his best case scenario to be worth a first. Ricky Williams probably killed some fantasy teams!

Rookies I like this year include Bennett of Minnesota and Tomlinson of San Diego. Both have shots to be their team’s starting RB. McAllister probably has a much talent–or more–but has Ricky Williams in front of him.

Dynosaur–if receiving yards don’t count for RBs, I’m not nearly as high on Dunn.

And without receiving yards for RBs counting, I agree with BobbySuezQ re James or Faulk. Possibly George over Faulk, too. Faulk probably should be #1 IF receiving yards counted.

15

Tomlinson will DEFINATELY be SD’s starting back. Plus they will probably have him in the game A LOT, unless he goes down. If you’re looking for a rookie, I’d take him or Bennet. Barlow in SF might end up being a late round steal, unless Hearst works out.

Otherwise, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James or Eddie George. I’d shy away from Ricky Williams because of him splitting time with Deuce, which I see as most likely. I’m not sure which will end up getting more time. I would think Ricky-- but if he’s on his way out…

QB’s-- I don’t see why Jeff Garcia would have any less a spectacular season. His team wasn’t great, but his numbers were awesome. If his team improves at all, he should maintain. Kurt Warner, of course with that high ranking Offense he runs. McNabb on the Eagles or Daunte Culpepper could be good as well. I’m not sold on Couch or McNown or Rob Johnson or Brad Johnson. And another possible late round steal-- IF their Offensive Line holds up. Flutie could put up some numbers this year. (Except I don’t know about that line… :S)

I have the hardest time with Receivers. I never know who to pick. Listen to somebody else about these guys.

16

So I decided that I wasn’t getting nearly enough daily embarrassment, and agreed to participate in a fantasy league with a bunch of my friends from high school. The ones who had subscriptions to Sports Illustrated, and watched ESPN religiously. The ones who know the names of people who aren’t on the Giants. I don’t know the rules of the league or anything yet, but I have The Fear, as Hunter S. Thompson would put it.

So, has anyone heard anything about this Johnny Unitas fellow? I hear he’s pretty good.

17

Each year I play in a league with guys who seemingly know every stat about every player. By the end of the season I can’t even name who is on my team!

My true downfall is the later rounds of the draft. They all know who played for what college and how they did and can name no less than 5 spectacular plays in the past year. I keep playing every year just to piss em off when I win.

An ESPN Watching n Reading girl with no ability to retain stats.

18

Last year I lucked out in my fantasy league. In the second round I took Daunte Culpepper- everyone laughed hysterically at me. I laughed long and loud as in week 1, he rushed (RUSHED!) for 3 touchdowns against the Bears.

In the third or fourth week in the season, I was desperate for offensive production. My receivers were anemic (Galloway was lost with an ACL in week 1, Cris Carter wasn’t getting the touchdowns he so richly deserves, and Tony Martin was whining about his foot) and Eddie George couldn’t give me everything I needed, so I gambled on taking this nobody called Mike Anderson.

And thus I rode Culpepper and Anderson to the Super Bowl and won, after barely making the playoffs with a 6-7-1 record.

Anyway, to address some of the questions above:

What happened to Leroy Hoard?
He was cut after 98 and remains unsigned. He still remains my favorite player because of a quote from him (paraphrased): “You need one yard? I’ll get you three. You need five yards? I’ll get you three.” Sadly, I don’t know why he’s gone. He was a great short-yardage back, and easily outproduced Robert Smith in TDs (mostly because Smith’s only 2 TDs in 98 came on breakaway runs, and he was never given a handoff inside the 10).

What about Culpepper and his receivers?
Culpepper will still produce this year. Moss is in his last year of his rookie contract (at a pathetic $3.5 million) and Carter’s playing for one last year. I don’t consider Moss’ contract negotiations to be an albatross on the team’s neck- as long as the immature brat can keep his mouth shut.

So Randy Moss will make the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year, and the Vikings will think about making him their franchise player, but will come to their senses and sign him for that obscene amount of money. They’re losing Carter after this year- they’d be fools to lose Moss as well. (Yes, we know Dennis Green is an ass when it comes to personnel decisions, but you must admit, he does know his offense.) He’ll sign, maybe not for a recordbreaking contract, but for something better than Keyshawn Johnson is getting with the Bucs.

Carter will retire after this year and remain with the organization in some way- receivers coach, front office, whathaveyou- but as long as he’s still around, he’ll keep Moss somewhat in check. If you’re in a franchise league, get your grubby little mitts on Moss, since “Culpepper to Moss” will someday be remembered like “Montana to Rice”.

Oh, and jarbabyj? I feel somewhat ashamed to admit this, but my father taught me to sing at a very early age. He was born and raised in Chicago, and felt betrayed by the Bears year after year, so during every Bears game we watch, to the tune of “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” we end up singing “Break down, Chicago Bears; you’re no good and you’ll never be”.

And as Sledman pointed out, Michael Bennett is a gamble. He’s a weak receiving threat in an aerial-oriented offense. He’ll be the starting RB, there’s no doubt about that (Chapman? Pfft. Williams? Special teams, nothing more.) and he’ll get a handful of TDs, but odds are Culpepper will rush for more TDs and conceivably more yards than Bennett. If you’ve got a shot, I’d get Faulk/James as a RB, especially in a pure yardage league.

Also, only 55ish more days until the first preseason games…

19

I lucked out last year by getting Tony Gonazalez as my TE and thank God Ricky Williams jumped up and started playing for real.

I’m not making my final lists out or anything yet, just getting a feel for what others are thinking. Thanks for the advice.

You make me sad LNO.

I’m a big enough football fan to recognize that they are…sub par…but I do get my hopes up every year and I am ALWAYS optimistic. This year, they’ll at least be better than last year, when we kick out idiot boy mcnown (referred to by my friend Rich as McWhen?) and let Jim Miller play.

jarbaby

20

Take Faulk. His knee surgery was routine. Edgerrin James is causing a stir in Indianapolis because he isn’t practicing with the team. He wants more money. If that problem lingers, he may not be as ready for the season. George also has had toe surgery, and his health is a bigger question. I wouldn’t take Ricky Williams. As has been stated here, he will share time with Deuce McAllister.

I’m a St. Louis sports fan, and I can tell you the Rams’ offense is a gold mine. Take Torry Holt if he’s available when you’re looking for a receiver. He had more yards than anybody in the NFC last year, even though nobody noticed. That was just his second year. He works very hard and will continue to produce. With Isaac Bruce at the other wideout, defenses have to choose their poison, and usually put their best defender on Bruce. That might change this year, but Holt will still do just fine.

Someone mentioned Rich Garcia, and I think he also is a good choice if the big-name QBs aren’t available. Of course, I like Warner, but Manning is probably the best bet at QB.