Johnson looks sharp, scores early

by | Aug 8, 2008 | Fantasy Football, NFL News

I watched maybe a single series of NFL preseason Thursday night continuing a several-year long promise to myself to not put much stock in games that generally amount to glorified scrimmages held between backup players, most of whom will be bagging groceries and supersizing french fry orders at McDonald’s in the weeks ahead.

Instead I follow preseason largely from game write-ups and comments from coaches. Based on most accounts one recovering star who apparently looked the part last night was Larry Johnson.

The overall numbers weren’t fantastic. He rushed eight times for 18 yards. But he scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive and “burst through the middle, past Brian Urlacher, for a 7-yard-gain on the second play from scrimmage,” according to the Associated Press.

For the Chiefs to have any chance this season Johnson is going to have to shoulder the load, taking pressure off of Brodie Croyle (or Tyler Thigpen, as it reportedly may be) and keeping the defense fresh. He missed half of last season with a broken foot and didn’t play ALL that well when he was available.

A solid performance by Johnson would also provide a sigh of relief to fantasy football players picking in the second half of round one or the early parts of round two selecting from the good-but-not-elite heap of running backs. Johnson, a consensus top three pick the last two seasons has faded some following his injury and the overuse he sustained in 2006. But this game against Chicago, whose defense is still pretty solid despite an offense devoid of, well, nearly anything, gives some hope that Johnson may prove worthy of a risk-taker’s pick despite a mediocre quarterback situation and an offensive line that has yet to recover from retirement and injury.

Could Toe be Stewart’s Downfall?

by | Aug 7, 2008 | Fantasy Football

In a quick blurb that warrants mentioning & following (especially for all those who are convinced they’ve found this year’s Adrian Peterson), Panthers’ rookie RB Jonathan Stewart is still being hampered by a toe he injured last November at Oregon, and had surgically repaired this offseason.

He is considered a game-day decision for their preseason opener this Saturday.

“We’re just being precautionary. He’s progressing just fine,” coach John Fox said. “He’s getting plenty of reps and is at all the meetings. Mentally, he’s just fine.”

But a toe is kind of important for a running back, and I wonder just how much this could continue to cause problems, given that he is practicing and working out on it.  Add comments like this from Stewart, and I start to worry a bit:

“There’s certain things, like the whole explosiveness as a runner, are kind of limited because of the toe.”

Just something to keep in mind as fantasy football draft day(s) approach for many of us.

Favre trade brings fantasy ramifications

by | Aug 7, 2008 | Fantasy Football

The trade to New York reunites Brett Favre with a familiar tight end and improves the fantasy prospects of several Jet skill-position players.

Bubba Franks played with Favre for eight years and while he hasn’t had more than 34 catches since 2002, he provides the former Packer star with a familiar target and a big body in the red zone. Franks likely will be the number two tight end behind Dustin Keller, the athletic first-round pick from Purdue.

Keller was set to provide another weapon for whoever became the Jets’ signal caller this season, but the Favre acquisition likely accelerates Keller’s upward movement on tight end cheat sheets. He will be a fantasy factor this season.

Jerricho Cotchery caught 82 passes for 1,130 yards last season but scored only two touchdowns. The aging Laveranues Coles caught 55 passes and six touchdowns. Donald Driver’s numbers were almost identical last year to Cotchery’s while Greg Jennings’ reception totals mirrored Coles’ – but Jennings scored 12 touchdowns. My guess is each Jets wide receiver bumps up their touchdown totals this year with a stronger-armed, better-skilled quarterback at the helm.

But nobody benefits more than Thomas Jones. With the additions of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody to last year’s sieve-like offensive line, Jones already had to be happy about the team’s offseason improvements. But with a quarterback that can legitimately fling the rock it’ll open up running lanes for a back who eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing but only hit paydirt once. Those numbers, especially the touchdown one, will improve.

And don’t forget Leon Washington – Favre doesn’t mind throwing to his backs. Remember Ahman Green – during his first four seasons with the Packers, Green caught 73, 62, 57 and 50 passes from Favre and in the last of those four scored five touchdowns through the air. Washington could be the beneficiary of many of those touches.

Favre himself was a top five fantasy quarterback last year, throwing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s unlikely to keep up that pace for any lengthy period of time, but he doesn’t have to in order to provide substantial improvements to the fantasy fortunes of his new teammates. Chad Pennington, while not terrible, has a rag arm and Kellen Clemens threw only five touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 2007.

The talent around him decreases somewhat from his Packers team that went 13-3. But the Jets have some skill players and while Favre will help them, they will help Favre retain his status among the top handful-and-change of fantasy quarterbacks as well.

Not a lot is expected of the Jets this year but this trade makes them an interesting team – and their skill players intriguing sleepers as this fantasy season gets underway.

Brandon Marshall Suspended 3 Games

by | Aug 6, 2008 | Fantasy Football

In a move that likely INCREASES his fantasy football value for the upcoming season, Broncos WR Brandon Marshall was suspended for only 3 games on Wednesday.

The suspension could be seen as increasing his value, as rumors of a 4 to 8 game suspension were making the rounds–and Marshall can reduce it to just 2 games, if he undergoes counseling and takes other corrective actions.

Still, his lawyer isn’t happy with the suspension, and clearly doesn’t understand the issues that have come up recently around players getting in trouble in the NFL:

“There’s no basis for discipline,” Marshall’s lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, argued during an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday night. “Mr. Marshall has not been convicted nor charged with a crime.”

At the same time, the lawyer does point out one of the more ridiculous conflicts of interest at league headquarters:

“I get to appeal to the guy who imposed the discipline,” Steinberg said.

So Der Kommissar can admit that he was too harsh, or he can deem himself just in deciding the suspension. Which way do you think he’ll lean?

Livid to loved: Grant happy with contract

by | Aug 4, 2008 | Contract Squabbles, Fantasy Football, NFL News

About a week after his agent told reporters Ryan Grant was livid with the Green Bay Packers’ first contract offer, the running back has joined teammates in training camp after signing a 4-year, $30 million deal.

He had been an exclusive rights free agent but held out seeking a long-term contract.

Grant took control of a putrid Packers running game last season falling just short of 1,000 yards rushing in half a season as a starter. He figures to start again this year despite a strong camp thus far by Brandon Jackson, a second year player who disappointed as a rookie.

Grant’s biggest concern now is that several teammates have demanded that he take them out for dinner.

While Grant looked good last year we think he’s a risk as a fantasy player this season, especially if Aaron Rodgers wins the quarterback competition allegedly taking place between he and Brett Favre. Defenses have had an offseason to study him and they’ll also likely be keying on Grant to force the passing game to beat them. Expect a decent season but games where he looks nothing like the backfield savior he was last year.

Offenses look good early

by | Aug 3, 2008 | Fantasy Football

Both the Indianapolis Colts’ and Washington Redskins’ offenses looked good early in the NFL Hall of Fame game Sunday night – and both provided some moments of intrigue for fantasy players.

No, you can’t judge much by watching preseason games – the first couple drives, in general, are the only ones that are going to tell you much. But Jason Campbell, Washington’s quarterback, looked sharp on a short drive following the team’s recovery of an onside kick. He quickly hit Chris Cooley, who is rising on my tight end cheat sheets, with an eight yard pass and then hit Antwaan Randle El for a 20 yard touchdown.

Of particular note to me on that drive was how calm and sharp Campbell looked and how the first pass went to Cooley, who certainly isn’t a stranger to fantasy players, but who also could emerge in Jim Zorn’s version of the West Coast offense this season.

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