FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

February 27th, 2011 Sunday

David’s Daily Digest

IDP Time Continues

As we continue to take a look at the IDP side of fantasy one thing to point out, when it comes to scoring on the defensive side of fantasy consistency tells the tale. Pass rushing linebackers tend to have the big games during the fantasy season, but it’s the run-stuffers that get it done week in and week out. The team leading tacklers are the back bone of any fantasy defense, because their consistent play will help you win championships….

The Run-Stuffers…..

LB-Jerod Mayo
The Patriots leading tackler not only led his team, but Jerod Mayo led the entire league with 114 solo tackles and 175 combined. It was the second time in his three seasons that he has registered more than 100 solo tackles and in all three seasons Mayo has combined for more than 100. Mayo will be at the top of many fantasy IDP drafts lists this summer.

LB-Stephen Tulloch
The Titans five-year middle-linebacker Stephen Tulloch came into his own this past season. After a very strong 2009 campaign Tulloch came back in 2010 to finish the year with 111 solo tackles (2nd in the league) and 160 combined (2nd in the league). 2010 marked the first season Tulloch started all 16 games and fantasy owners can be sure he will be starting all 16 in 2011. He’s another IDP name that will be near the top of most draft lists in 2011.

LB-Brian Urlacher
The Bears biggest Monster of the Midway returned to the gridiron in style in 2010 after missing nearly all of the 2009 season. Urlacher led the team with 96 solo stops and 125 combined last season and he showcased his athletic ability with four sacks, 10 pass-defenses, one interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He likely won’t go first in IDP drafts this summer, but his versatility will keep him in the top-ten.

LB-Patrick Willis
The Niners team leading tackler Patrick Willis stepped up his game with six sacks in 2010, but his overall totals took a slight dip. Despite the fall in tackling numbers with 128 combined in 2010, Willis remains a top tier selection on most draft boards and will likely go near the top once again.

LB-Paul Posluszny
The Bills linebacker Pau Posluszny has quickly become a rising star in this league in just four seasons. In just 14 games in 2010 he totaled 151 tackles and looks primed to be a run-stuffing force for years to come. His name is one that will be heard a lot on fantasy draft day, especially near to the top of all drafts.

Reliable names worthy of mention…

While players like James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley grab the headlines with hard hits and quarterback sacks, linebacker Lawrence Timmons clogs the middle and leads the team with tackles (135 combined tackles in 2010).

Another linebacker lacking the headlines of notoriety, but still getting the job done in the middle is the Vikings Chad Greenway (144 combined tackles in 2010).

Ray Lewis was solid again in 2010 (139 combined tackles) and should be a worthy second tier linebacker grab in IDP fantasy drafts this summer.

The Broncos have a steady player in the middle on defense with linebacker D.J. Williams (119 combined tackles in 2010). With two straight seasons with more than 100 combined tackles Williams is quickly becoming an IDP fantasy favorite; he’s a high second tier linebacker pick in fantasy drafts.

These are just a handful of the run-stuffers that will be ranked later this summer when we start looking at fantasy drafts for 2011. Check back soon as we continue to review the defensive side of fantasy.

By David Ortega

FSH: ON THE COVER

October 7th, 2009 11:00pm PST

This Week on the Cover

The New Orange Crush!!

Denver has a New and Improved Defense….
When the big change was made in the offseason with the firing of former head coach Mike Shanahan, many folks in the Denver area knew what was ailing this Bronco team. For the last several seasons under the Shanahan reign, the Bronco’s defense had become worse than mediocre.

So when franchise owner Pat Bowlen pulled the trigger and took a shot on a young up and coming offensive coordinator to be the team’s new head coach, you can imagine what many of the Denver faithful thought. Pat, we need a defensive mind, not a younger version of the old regime.

What many may not have known or seen when Josh McDaniels arrived; he had a plan. The new head coach’s plan included cleaning house, bringing in a defensive minded guru, and establishing a new order. Though many of the local faithful still can’t understand or get past the whole Jay Cutler trade fiasco, one thing that McDaniels has proven thus far, his plan is working.

To his credit, bringing in Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator has revamped a defense with plenty of new faces and a completely new identity. Nolan has introduced a new 3-4 scheme that seems to not only fit the new faces of Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, and Andra Davis, but it has some familiar faces like D.J. Williams (31 tackles), Champ Bailey (4 passes defensed), and Elvis Dummerville (eight sacks) playing extremely well.

The signature of this franchise over the past decade has not been its’ defense, but with new-comers like Dawkins, Davis, and Hill, this could be changing soon. In the team’s first four games, they limited opponents to just 26 points (6.5 per game), sacked opposing quarterbacks 15 times, recorded 10 takeaways and rank second overall. These guys may not be the Orange Crush of old, but they certainly look familiar.

Check back everyday for more football!

FSH: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NOTES

August 30th, 2009 8:57pm PST

Sunday Night Football Notes

Denver Broncos: No state of Defense

Still a work in progress….
For those of us that engage in the country’s unofficial second national past-time of fantasy football, it’s no secret that the Broncos defense is one to avoid in fantasy drafts. While those in the Mile High area are hopeful that this reputation won’t precede this year’s edition, after watching their Sunday night debut there’s still much work to be done.

While it was only the team’s third preseason game, this match-up had a little home flavor and enough incentive to bring out their “A” game. Making his return to the Mile High area, the Bronco’s former starting quarterback Jay Cutler should have been more than enough to motivate Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and the defense to bring it. It was Cutler that brought it Sunday night and got the better of this match-up, completing 15 of 21 for 144-yards and a touchdown.

With all the changes that head coach Josh McDaniels has made on defense by adding veteran players like Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman, Andra Davis, and Renaldo Hill to help complete the team’s makeover even with some signs of improvement, the defense has a long road ahead. Some may view the changes with great optimism, but Sunday night clearly exposed some of the same short comings of the team’s defensive play in the past; no quarterback pressure.

Against the Bears, the Bronco’s defenses on occasion came close to getting to Cutler, but were never able to put him on the ground. It’s been the story of the past for this franchise and the 2009 version did not seem to show any noticeable improvements. Again, it was only the team’s third preseason game so you might not expect to see to many complicated blitz packages, but if Denver fans were ever hoping to see a sign that times could be changing, playing against the Bears and Jay Cutler seemed to be the perfect excuse.

What to Expect in 2009….

There’s no question this unit is going to have to find a way to bring more heat up the middle and pressure on the edges if they are going to have any success. Linebackers DJ Williams and Andra Davis look ready to thrive in Nolan’s new 3-4 scheme and safety Brian Dawkins looks like he could have at least one more pro bowl season left in him. The lack of pressure is going to put a lot of demands on the secondary in pass coverage, an area the team struggled with in 2008 (ranked 26th).

The defense does not lack any speed, but size in the middle could become an Achilles unless players like Kenny Peterson, Ronald Fields, and Ryan McBean really step up this season and make a difference. Optimism can only offer so much hope, something the Denver defense is going to need lots of this season.

Fantasy owners shouldn’t expect any significant jumps of improvement from the Bronco’s defense this season that would generate any drafting interest. We have no doubt that with McDaniels enthusiasm and Nolan’s influence this unit will get better, but middle of the pack is going to be a realistic landing spot for the 2009 unit. The defense will be loaded with plenty of talent again this season, but it will take Nolan and his staff some time to develop its’ chemistry and effectiveness.

While this unit may not be worthy to draft in leagues that employ team defenses, it could very well be an attractive waiver wire option much later in the season. Keep watch, take plenty of notes, and let’s see where things stand in the second half.

That’s my take and I’m sticking to it.

By David Ortega

Check out more “Sunday Night Football Notes” every week!

FSH: IDP NOTES

July 28th, 2009 10:30pm PST

IDP Notes:

The strong never sleep, so for those that can keep up with the “what is happening” around the league, here’s more football just for all of the IDP Nation….

DB CHARLES TILLMAN EXPECTED TO BE READY FOR OPENER
My Fantasy Read: In Recent news, the Bears playmaking corner underwent surgery two weeks ago and it appears he won’t be ready until the start of the season. According to Tillman he will be fine and ready for the team’s opener. There’s no question Tillman has a nose for the ball, but with his risky timeline putting him back on the field so close to kickoff, his fantasy stock value will likely slide quite a bit.

LB DJ WILLIAMS RETURNS TO PRACTICE TUESDAY
My Fantasy Read: The Bronco’s talented linebacker is coming off a shortened 2008 season due to injury. Now that he’s back on the field he appears ready to go. He’ll be a featured IDP play in the Broncos new 3-4 scheme and could post strong fantasy numbers playing the inside.

LB ANTONIO PIERCE FACING OFF-FIELD ISSUES
My Fantasy Read: It sounds like the Giants stud linebacker could be facing some serious legal issues of his own, although what we are seeing is that legal action isn’t likely. Nonetheless with the possibility looming, Pierce could become a very expensive and risky IDP play in 2009. With 95 tackles and two forced fumbles in 2008, he will be hard to pass over in the middle rounds, so owners will have to watch how this case develops prior to their upcoming drafts.


Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football 411….

FSH: TUESDAY (FOOTBALL) TALK

May 26th, 2009 8:37pm PST

Defense Reborn in Denver?

Can Dawkins and Company Improve?….
After last season’s tumultuous collapse and ultimate undoing before a national audience on NBC’s Sunday Night Football against the Chargers, the Denver Broncos face many questions in 2009. Their season finale that finished with an embarrassing 52-21 loss to their hated division rivals (Chargers) from Southern California concluded a three game meltdown that cost the team the division, a playoff berth, and ultimately former head coach Mike Shanahan’s job.

A lot has changed since that game. The team has added a new head coach, a new coaching staff, and a new quarterback. One more important thing the team has done this offseason is given the defense a complete makeover, or so it would appear.

Last season the defense was the team’s Achilles heel and biggest culprit in the team’s disappointing finish, allowing 112 points scored and an average of 388-yards of offense in their three game slide to complete their horrid 2008 campaign.

As a result one of new head coach Josh McDaniels tasks was to reinvent the defense, by giving it a new look, a new attitude, and leadership that just might help it find a new identity. Last year the Broncos had one of the leagues best offenses but perhaps one of the worst defenses (ranked 29th overall).

One of McDaniels first moves was to find the heart and soul for the 2009 edition. With the acquisition of former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins, the team may have done just that. Dawkins brings in a winning attitude and the type of give-it-all-you-got relentless style of play the team hopes will be addicting. More importantly he brings the kind of leadership that leads by example.

McDaniels has not wasted anytime lowering the boom on many underachievers and less than stellar performers such as; DL Dwayne Robertson, LB Jamie Winborn, DL John Engelberger, and DB Marquand Manuel. All were average performers at best, but none made the defense any better than mediocre.

The new faces to join Dawkins in Denver include LB Andra Davis, DL Darrel Reid, DB Renaldo Hill, and DB Andre Goodman. With existing talent returning, like LB DJ Williams and DB Champ Bailey, the defense certainly has an improved look.

One of the big keys for the defense will be the big boys up front stopping the run. Last season the defense ranked 27th against the run allowing almost 150-yards/game on the ground. This has been an area of noticeable weakness for the Broncos in season’s past. The team will be counting on the addition of a ball-hawking Dawkins to help fill some gaps and with Davis and Williams adding great speed inside and Boss Bailey and Elvis Dummerville on the edge, the defense is hoping to shore up its duties against the run.

Bailey will do his formidable job on one side locking down the opposing teams big receiving threat, but because this defense is still considered by league standards and averages to be undersized defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will have to find creative ways to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

From 2002-2004 as the Baltimore Raven’s defensive coordinator, Nolan’s defenses averaged over 35 takeaways and more than 39 sacks. The Broncos defense recorded just 26 quarterback sandwiches and just 13 takeaways. The Broncos are a far cry from the Ray Lewis led Ravens, but there’s no question this unit was made to improve. With the ingredients that McDaniels has added, it seems it may have a few of the flavors needed to cook up something sweet in 2009.

After ranking near the cellar in consecutive campaigns, there’s no need to fool oneself into believing miracles can happen overnight, but the fans in the Mile High City have to already like the look of what will take the field this season as compared to 2008.

Already making the move to the 3-4, the Broncos are addressing the biggest deficiency on defense; stopping the run. Not to go too far out on a limb, but if Nolan and Dawkins can get these bad boys in Denver to believe, this defense could be reborn in 2009 or at least improve considerably.

By David Ortega


Check back every Tuesday for more “Tuesday (Football) Talk”

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

April 27th, 2009 10:30pm PST


David's Daily Digest
[My Take]

All the buzz of the draft is still humming with everyone from your brother to my sister offering their take on how their home town teams did this past weekend. Even with a lot of the focus on Radio City Music Hall there was still much happening away from the glam and glitter of the big stage in the NYC. Here’s my take on the latest….

My Take...

TE TONY GONZALEZ IS NOW A FALCON
Last week the Falcons acquired Tony G. in a trade with the Chiefs. The deal sent a draft pick to the KC and Matt Ryan nabbed himself one heckuva target over the middle.
Early Fantasy Read: Ryan is only a second year quarterback, so no one will be projecting pro bowl just yet, but Tony G. will have a huge impact on the passing game. Roddy White emerged as one of the league’s top flight and 2009 could be big with defenses forced to watch Gonzo.

RB EDGERRIN JAMES RELEASED BY THE CARDS
The Cardinals released running back Edgerrin James on Tuesday, a move that was highly anticipated. This followed the team’s drafting of running back Chris Wells (Ohio State).
Early Fantasy Read: The departure for James means he’ll be looking for work and should be able to find some, but maybe not in a leading role. The absence of Edge could mean a competition for the starting tailback position between Wells and Tim Hightower, but regardless who wins both will see their share of carries.

RB THOMAS JONES COULD BE ON THE TRADE BLOCK?
The Jets were not just aggressive going after a quarterback, but the team traded away several picks to move up the board to grab rookie running back Shonn Greene. The move could signal the last days in New York for the unhappy Thomas Jones.
Early Fantasy Read: An unhappy camper in the big apple, Jones could be traded or released if the Jets feel they have what they need in Greene. Greene was the team’s top rated back in the draft and could very easily enter camp as their starter leaving Jones in the cold.

WR JAVON WALKER’S STOCK CONTINUES TO FALL
With the Raiders selecting Darius Heyward-Bey as high as they did in the draft, he figures to be slotted in as a possible starter dropping Walker further down the charts. It doesn’t help that the Raiders also took a second wideout (Louis Murphy-Florida) with the 124th overall selection
Early Fantasy Read: Walker is slowly but surely falling out of favor in the bay area, unless he bounces back with strong showings at the minicamps and this summer’s training camp, there’s no reason to think he’ll even be with the team come September (even with guaranteed money).

TE TONY SCHEFFLER COULD BE TRADED
There was a lot of talk on the second day of the draft indicating that the Eagles could still have interest in Scheffler and reaffirming that the Broncos are still shopping the fourth year tight end.
Early Fantasy Read: It’s no secret that McDaniels passing system in New England seldom incorporated the tight end position, putting more value in their blocking skills. The team drafted a rookie tight end, considered a solid blocker and one that develop the needed pass receiving skills. The pick could indicate Scheffler will likely be on the move and Philly could be a good fit for him being familiar with the West Coast offense.


IDP Notes:

Here are some football notes from the past couple of days noting some key defensive players and my read for all of the IDP Nation….


DB ELLIS HOBBS TRADED TO THE EAGLES
The Eagles dealt away a couple of picks on the second day to New England to acquire cornerback Ellis Hobbs. The move give the Eagles some lateral movement if they decide to deal an unhappy Sheldon Brown.
Early Fantasy Read: Hobbs is a talented and versatile corner that can contribute right away on defense and in the return game. He played well in Foxboro last season and could easily earn a starting nod opposite his former teammate Assante Samuel.

DL JULIUS PEPPERS NOT LIKELY TO BE MOVED
With no deal getting done during the draft it looks more and more like Julius Pepper is going to remain a Panther in 2009.
Early Fantasy Read: Peppers may not be happy about remaining in Carolina, but there’s no question he’ll be a more consistent IDP play for owners coming off his strong performance in 2008.

LB DJ WILLIAMS TO PLAY WEAK-INSIDE LINEBACKER
With the team moving to a 3-4 defense under Mike Nolan this season, Williams will move to the inside.
Early Fantasy Read: Williams is extremely athletic and quick. If he can play within the scheme and not get caught out of position, he could be a very highly productive IDP for owners in 2009.

DB SHELDON BROWN CREATING BUZZ
The unhappy Sheldon wants out of Philly if the team is not willing to renegotiate a new deal, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll hold out. Nonetheless he’s being very vocal in the local press about his unhappiness.
Early Fantasy Read: If Brown remains in Philly, he’s likely going to see more time as a nickel back behind Samuel and Hobbs, so the idea of a trade becomes more logical. Brown will have more value as a starter on another team, than playing nickel with the Eagles.


Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football 411....