Friday Football Diary
Dear Diary
Another week of the offseason has bit the dust and we inch a little closer to the start of the 2009 NFL season. With Kickoff just about 13 weeks out, fantasy owners have to be starting to feel that itch once again.
If you start checking the stands now, you’ll find some of the early 2009 Fantasy Football Preview Guides print editions, just for those early birds who want to get a jump on things. While I think it may be too early to start projecting complete rankings, it’s never too early to start talking football or taking a look at what players figure to be key in fantasy.
With 13 weeks until kickoff and about nine until many fantasy leagues start up their early drafts for the 2009 season, its time to start taking a look at all the NFL teams around the league and consider what players figure to be relevant this season in fantasy football. This will be my first insert as I will go through all 32 teams and this week, we’ll feature the NFC East in my weekly spot-light “Fantasy Preview”
Another week of the offseason has bit the dust and we inch a little closer to the start of the 2009 NFL season. With Kickoff just about 13 weeks out, fantasy owners have to be starting to feel that itch once again.
If you start checking the stands now, you’ll find some of the early 2009 Fantasy Football Preview Guides print editions, just for those early birds who want to get a jump on things. While I think it may be too early to start projecting complete rankings, it’s never too early to start talking football or taking a look at what players figure to be key in fantasy.
With 13 weeks until kickoff and about nine until many fantasy leagues start up their early drafts for the 2009 season, its time to start taking a look at all the NFL teams around the league and consider what players figure to be relevant this season in fantasy football. This will be my first insert as I will go through all 32 teams and this week, we’ll feature the NFC East in my weekly spot-light “Fantasy Preview”
Fantasy Preview
(Offense only)
The NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: With all their talent, the Cowboys offense only ranked 13th last season, but a big factor was the absent Tony Romo. This season Jason Garrett should have this unit finely tuned and more cohesive. Expect the boys from Texas to be a little better than 13th and their 18th ranking in points scored.
Quarterback-Last season when healthy Romo was better than good finishing 2008 with 26 touchdowns in only 13 games. Expect a slight decline without T.O. but he’ll still be top 10 this season.
Running Backs-The Cowboys have an entire backfield of playmakers, but if Marion Barber stays healthy, he’ll keep his number one status and should rank among the elite this season. Felix Jones is just too good to remain non-relevant, but he’ll only earn a top RB3 ranking with less than 10 touches per game on average. Choice is likely to be the odd man out not earning enough PT to be a serious fantasy consideration, but he’ll definitely be worth stashing as insurance.
Wide Receivers-With no T.O., Roy Williams will likely emerge as the only reliable fantasy option on the outside. Crayton and Miles will show flashes here and there, but neither can sustain to be a legitimate fantasy option (at least not early).
Tight ends-The Cowboys have the luxury of having one of the best tight ends in the league with Jason Witten. He figures to benefit most with the departure of Owens. He now becomes the undisputed number one option for Romo and his skill set will earn him top fantasy drafting. The second year tight end martellus Bennett is a talent and could be sleeper this season, but it’s a risk-reward situation to consider him too early in fantasy drafts.
Philadelphia Eagles: Last season the Eagles were one of those up and down teams that finished on an up note that took them all the way to the NFC Championship. Statistically, 2008 finished very well for the Eagles offense ranking 9th in yards and 6th in scoring. This season will see the same nucleus return with some fresh young talent to add depth.
Quarterback-McNabb enters his 11th season in the league and after last season’s run, still has something left in the tank. His 3,916 yards last season were the most in his career for a single season. With some added talent on offense McNabb could still be a top 10 Q this season.
Running Backs-The Eagle’s leading running back Brian Westbrook remains the high risk-reward play in Philly. As dynamic and at times dominant he can be, his history with injury remains a concern (still recovering from surgery). Westy is likely to take a cut in PT this season, but it will remain to be seen who picks up the slack LeSean McCoy or Lorenzo Booker.
Wide Receivers-The Eagles did not go shopping on the free market this offseason, but they did stock up on some outside talent. With Curtis expected to be ready for camp, if healthy he and DeSean Jackson will be the only favorites as solid WR2 fantasy picks, but the sleeper pick could be the rookie Jeremy Maclin, who will benefit greatly with playing with an experienced core of players that include; Hank Basket, Jason Avant, and Reggie Brown.
Tight ends-Last season saw the demise of tight end L.J. Smith (considered a good receiving TE) with too many injuries. His inability to stay healthy opened the door for then 2nd year tight end Brent Celek, who took the bull by the horns to the tune of 19 receptions in the postseason. He’ll be a steady target for McNabb and should finish as one of the top 10 tight ends this season. Their backup Matt Schobel is a capable receiver, but just see enough time on the field to be a fantasy consideration.
Washington Redskins: Last season the Redskins were the epitomy of up and down, starting the season 6-2 only to finish their last eight games 2-6. The offense was steady, but not spectacular out of the gate behind the running game, but then the wheels just fell off with the Redskins finishing 19th on offense and 28th in scoring last season.
Quarterback-There were rumors, but Jason Campbell heads into camp as the team’s starter once again. Last season the 5th year player was solid limiting his mistakes in the first eight games, but struggled in the second half with just five touchdown passes. He should improve in 2009 having a better grasp of head coach Jim Zorn’s west coast offense, but he’s not going to turn any heads right away and will serve best as a fantasy backup QB.
Running Backs-For the first eight weeks of the 2008 NFL season, no one was better than the Redskins running back Clinton Portis (rushed for 944-yards), but injuries and a heavy load (187 carries) may have caught up to the seven year veteran. Now heading into his 8th season in the league, Portis figures to be big man on the DC campus, but it’s not likely that Zorn will feed him with as many carries in 2009. Last season was the fourth time in Portis’ career he tallied more than 300 carries (342). Portis should still warrant a RB2 ranking in 2009, but backup Ladell Betts could steal a few more carries to become fantasy relevant. Aside from this tandem, only Rock Cartwright might see some regular time on the field but hardly any worth fantasy consideration.
Wide Receivers-Probably one of the weaker positions for the Redskins, aside from wide receiver Santana Moss who is the only legit threat in the passing game to clip 1,000-yards the team is relatively thin. Receivers like James Thrash, Antwaan Randle EL, and Roydell Williams have been hugely disappointing to fantasy owners because of their inconsistency (none will be fantasy worthy at draft time).
Tight ends-With Chris Cooley, the Redskins boast the division’s second best tight end. He’s not your prototypical size or speed, but he’s just good. His 83 catches last season ranked second only to Tony Gonzalez for tight ends. He’ll once again rank amongst the best in 2009. Backup TE Todd Yoder is more of a blocking end and will not have much fantasy value.
New York Giants: The G-men had their struggles last season with the loss of burress down the stretch, but the team still ranked in the top five in scoring and 7th on offense. Their aerial attack took a back seat to their three-head rushing monster. They will enter 2009 with a few minor tweaks, but should have enough talent and depth to boast one of the better offenses in the division.
Quarterback-Eli Manning is cemented as the team’s leader on offense, but he’s not exactly going to light up any scored boards with his passing. His strength will however be his consistency. Last season he passed for over 3,200-yards and tossed 21 touchdowns. He’s probably not a top 10 fantasy quarterback, but he’s a later round selection that will be very serviceable.
Running Backs-With the departure of Derrick Ward, this remains Brandon Jacobs stomping grounds. Earth was the team leader in rushing a year ago with almost 1,100-yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. With Ward out, Jacobs will see quite a few more carries in 2009 and could be a huge fantasy play and top pick. Ward may be gone, but Fire” stayed in Jersey and running back Ahmad Bradshaw could become considerably more relevant in 2009. With just 67 carries last season, he could easily see that number double this coming year.
Wide Receivers-This is going to be the big question mark in 2009 for the Giants. Although they have some talent, their two starters from last season are now gone. The team will likely turn to trio of Steve Smith (3rd year), Domenik Hixon (4th year), and Sinorice Moss (4th year) to share the pickens. Right now it’s a reach to predict which receiver will emerge, but last season Smith finished as the team’s leading pass catcher making him the favorite to be Mr. Relevant in Jersey. Wide receivers Derek Hagen and David Tyree figure to be the faves to battle for the fourth receiver spot, but neither is a threat to make any noise in fantasy this year.
Tight ends-The Giants only feature one tight end worthy of mention, Kevin Boss. This will be his second full season as the team’s starter. He’s proven to be more durable, but hardly a reliable pass receiver. He’ll likely fill the same type of role in 2009, making his a less than attractive fantasy option but still a possible (TE2) backup on someone’s fantasy roster.
Check back every week for more “Friday Football Diary” and more “Fantasy Preview”
Dallas Cowboys: With all their talent, the Cowboys offense only ranked 13th last season, but a big factor was the absent Tony Romo. This season Jason Garrett should have this unit finely tuned and more cohesive. Expect the boys from Texas to be a little better than 13th and their 18th ranking in points scored.
Quarterback-Last season when healthy Romo was better than good finishing 2008 with 26 touchdowns in only 13 games. Expect a slight decline without T.O. but he’ll still be top 10 this season.
Running Backs-The Cowboys have an entire backfield of playmakers, but if Marion Barber stays healthy, he’ll keep his number one status and should rank among the elite this season. Felix Jones is just too good to remain non-relevant, but he’ll only earn a top RB3 ranking with less than 10 touches per game on average. Choice is likely to be the odd man out not earning enough PT to be a serious fantasy consideration, but he’ll definitely be worth stashing as insurance.
Wide Receivers-With no T.O., Roy Williams will likely emerge as the only reliable fantasy option on the outside. Crayton and Miles will show flashes here and there, but neither can sustain to be a legitimate fantasy option (at least not early).
Tight ends-The Cowboys have the luxury of having one of the best tight ends in the league with Jason Witten. He figures to benefit most with the departure of Owens. He now becomes the undisputed number one option for Romo and his skill set will earn him top fantasy drafting. The second year tight end martellus Bennett is a talent and could be sleeper this season, but it’s a risk-reward situation to consider him too early in fantasy drafts.
Philadelphia Eagles: Last season the Eagles were one of those up and down teams that finished on an up note that took them all the way to the NFC Championship. Statistically, 2008 finished very well for the Eagles offense ranking 9th in yards and 6th in scoring. This season will see the same nucleus return with some fresh young talent to add depth.
Quarterback-McNabb enters his 11th season in the league and after last season’s run, still has something left in the tank. His 3,916 yards last season were the most in his career for a single season. With some added talent on offense McNabb could still be a top 10 Q this season.
Running Backs-The Eagle’s leading running back Brian Westbrook remains the high risk-reward play in Philly. As dynamic and at times dominant he can be, his history with injury remains a concern (still recovering from surgery). Westy is likely to take a cut in PT this season, but it will remain to be seen who picks up the slack LeSean McCoy or Lorenzo Booker.
Wide Receivers-The Eagles did not go shopping on the free market this offseason, but they did stock up on some outside talent. With Curtis expected to be ready for camp, if healthy he and DeSean Jackson will be the only favorites as solid WR2 fantasy picks, but the sleeper pick could be the rookie Jeremy Maclin, who will benefit greatly with playing with an experienced core of players that include; Hank Basket, Jason Avant, and Reggie Brown.
Tight ends-Last season saw the demise of tight end L.J. Smith (considered a good receiving TE) with too many injuries. His inability to stay healthy opened the door for then 2nd year tight end Brent Celek, who took the bull by the horns to the tune of 19 receptions in the postseason. He’ll be a steady target for McNabb and should finish as one of the top 10 tight ends this season. Their backup Matt Schobel is a capable receiver, but just see enough time on the field to be a fantasy consideration.
Washington Redskins: Last season the Redskins were the epitomy of up and down, starting the season 6-2 only to finish their last eight games 2-6. The offense was steady, but not spectacular out of the gate behind the running game, but then the wheels just fell off with the Redskins finishing 19th on offense and 28th in scoring last season.
Quarterback-There were rumors, but Jason Campbell heads into camp as the team’s starter once again. Last season the 5th year player was solid limiting his mistakes in the first eight games, but struggled in the second half with just five touchdown passes. He should improve in 2009 having a better grasp of head coach Jim Zorn’s west coast offense, but he’s not going to turn any heads right away and will serve best as a fantasy backup QB.
Running Backs-For the first eight weeks of the 2008 NFL season, no one was better than the Redskins running back Clinton Portis (rushed for 944-yards), but injuries and a heavy load (187 carries) may have caught up to the seven year veteran. Now heading into his 8th season in the league, Portis figures to be big man on the DC campus, but it’s not likely that Zorn will feed him with as many carries in 2009. Last season was the fourth time in Portis’ career he tallied more than 300 carries (342). Portis should still warrant a RB2 ranking in 2009, but backup Ladell Betts could steal a few more carries to become fantasy relevant. Aside from this tandem, only Rock Cartwright might see some regular time on the field but hardly any worth fantasy consideration.
Wide Receivers-Probably one of the weaker positions for the Redskins, aside from wide receiver Santana Moss who is the only legit threat in the passing game to clip 1,000-yards the team is relatively thin. Receivers like James Thrash, Antwaan Randle EL, and Roydell Williams have been hugely disappointing to fantasy owners because of their inconsistency (none will be fantasy worthy at draft time).
Tight ends-With Chris Cooley, the Redskins boast the division’s second best tight end. He’s not your prototypical size or speed, but he’s just good. His 83 catches last season ranked second only to Tony Gonzalez for tight ends. He’ll once again rank amongst the best in 2009. Backup TE Todd Yoder is more of a blocking end and will not have much fantasy value.
New York Giants: The G-men had their struggles last season with the loss of burress down the stretch, but the team still ranked in the top five in scoring and 7th on offense. Their aerial attack took a back seat to their three-head rushing monster. They will enter 2009 with a few minor tweaks, but should have enough talent and depth to boast one of the better offenses in the division.
Quarterback-Eli Manning is cemented as the team’s leader on offense, but he’s not exactly going to light up any scored boards with his passing. His strength will however be his consistency. Last season he passed for over 3,200-yards and tossed 21 touchdowns. He’s probably not a top 10 fantasy quarterback, but he’s a later round selection that will be very serviceable.
Running Backs-With the departure of Derrick Ward, this remains Brandon Jacobs stomping grounds. Earth was the team leader in rushing a year ago with almost 1,100-yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. With Ward out, Jacobs will see quite a few more carries in 2009 and could be a huge fantasy play and top pick. Ward may be gone, but Fire” stayed in Jersey and running back Ahmad Bradshaw could become considerably more relevant in 2009. With just 67 carries last season, he could easily see that number double this coming year.
Wide Receivers-This is going to be the big question mark in 2009 for the Giants. Although they have some talent, their two starters from last season are now gone. The team will likely turn to trio of Steve Smith (3rd year), Domenik Hixon (4th year), and Sinorice Moss (4th year) to share the pickens. Right now it’s a reach to predict which receiver will emerge, but last season Smith finished as the team’s leading pass catcher making him the favorite to be Mr. Relevant in Jersey. Wide receivers Derek Hagen and David Tyree figure to be the faves to battle for the fourth receiver spot, but neither is a threat to make any noise in fantasy this year.
Tight ends-The Giants only feature one tight end worthy of mention, Kevin Boss. This will be his second full season as the team’s starter. He’s proven to be more durable, but hardly a reliable pass receiver. He’ll likely fill the same type of role in 2009, making his a less than attractive fantasy option but still a possible (TE2) backup on someone’s fantasy roster.
Check back every week for more “Friday Football Diary” and more “Fantasy Preview”
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