FSH: ON THE COVER

July 27th, 2009 10:00pm PST


This Week on the Cover….

TRAINING CAMPS ARE OPEN!!

Around the league Rookies and Veterans will be reporting to camp…
With the start of training camps commencing this week, it will be the first opportunity that fantasy owners will get a real look at some of those hidden gems they have been reading about all summer, as well as taking a good look at this year’s crop of rookies.

Some big notable names to report to their team;s first day of camp; in San Diego Shawne Merriman was present, in Buffalo Terrell Owens generated a lot of excitement with his presence in the camp, and in Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall was a first day show (as he said he would be).

Below is a list of opening dates for players to report and the training camp locations for all 32 NFL teams:

AFC
Team Location Opening dates
Baltimore Ravens Westminster, Md. July 27 (rookies), July 29 (veterans)
Buffalo Bills Pittsford, N.Y. July 25 (rookies and veterans)
Cincinnati Bengals Georgetown, Ky. July 30 (rookies and veterans)
Cleveland Browns Berea, Ohio July 24 (rookies), July 31 (veterans)
Denver Broncos Englewood, Colo. July 30 (rookies and veterans)
Houston Texans Houston July 26 (rookies), July 31 (veterans)
Indianapolis Colts Terre Haute, Ind. Aug. 2 (rookies and veterans)
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Aug. 2 (rookies and veterans)
Kansas City Chiefs River Falls, Wis. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Miami Dolphins Davie, Fla. Aug. 1 (rookies and veterans)
New England Patriots Foxboro, Mass. July 26 (rookies), July 29 (veterans)
New York Jets Cortland, N.Y. July 27 (rookies), July 30 (veterans)
Oakland Raiders Napa Valley, Calif. July 29 (rookies and veterans)
Pittsburgh Steelers Latrobe, Pa. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
San Diego Chargers San Diego, CA July 26 (rookies), July 31 (veterans)
Tennessee Titans Nashville, Tenn. July 30 (rookies and veterans)

NFC
Team Location Opening dates
Arizona Cardinals Flagstaff, Ariz. July 29 (rookies and veterans)
Atlanta Falcons Flowery Branch, Ga. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Carolina Panthers Spartanburg, S.C. Aug. 2 (rookies and veterans)
Chicago Bears Bourbonnais, Ill. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Dallas Cowboys San Antonio July 29 (rookies and veterans)
Detroit Lions Allen Park, Mich. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Green Bay Packers Green Bay, Wis. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Minnesota Vikings Mankato, Minn. July 30 (rookies and veterans)
New Orleans Saints Metairie, La. July 30 (rookies and veterans)
New York Giants Albany, N.Y. Aug. 3 (rookies and veterans)
Philadelphia Eagles Bethlehem, Pa. July 26 (rookies), July 29 (veterans)
San Francisco 49ers Santa Clara, Calif. July 28 (rookies), July 30 (veterans)
Seattle Seahawks Renton, Wash. July 30 (rookies), July 31 (veterans)
St. Louis Rams Earth City, Mo. July 30 (rookies), July 31 (veterans)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa, Fla. July 31 (rookies and veterans)
Washington Redskins Ashburn, Va. July 29 (rookies and veterans)

The big interest this summer, as it is every summer will not be who shows when camp open, but rather who does not. Already in some places we are hearing there have been a few notable no-shows, some that fantasy owners will want to keep watch of.

In Denver, the Bronco’s two first round draft picks running back Knowshon Moreno and defensive end Robert Ayers were no shows at the team’s first day of camp. The Eagles experienced the same occurrence with their first round selection wide receiver Jeremy Maclin not present. All three rookies remain unsigned and could be potential lengthy hold-outs. Something the Fantasy Nation will be watching.


Check back everyday for more football!

FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

July 27th, 2009 11:30pm PST

David's Daily Digest
[My Take]

More football news and happenings from around the league; here’s the latest I am hearing, reading, and following with my take on things and how they will impact the coming fantasy season……

My Take...

RB KNOWSHON MORENO A NO-SHOW AT CAMP
My Fantasy Read: This could be really big news for any fantasy owner eying the rookie early in any fantasy draft. With two veteran poised and ready to start, it would not be a good idea for Moreno to hold-out. In the event of a lengthy hold-out Moreno’s stock value would likely nose-dive with Correll Buckhalter being the current favorite to start.

WR TERRELL OWENS RECEIVING HIGH PRAISE FROM HIS QB
My Fantasy Read: It’s always good news to hear your team’s quarterback singing the praises about his best weapon. There’s no question that Owens is in incredible shape and appears to have plenty left in the tank. The big secret here will be his indirect positive effect on fellow wideout Lee Evans, who figures to see a lot of single coverage this season.

TE DONALD LEE TO PLAY FEWER SNAPS
My Fantasy Read: The football word is the Packers intend to limit or reduce the number of snaps that Lee will play in 2009. Last season Lee played in nearly three-quarters of the teams total offensive snaps and finished with 39 catches with five touchdowns. While fewer reps could reduce his overall total of catches, he’ll still figure in as a key option in the red-zone. He’ll still have some value as a mid-level TE2.

WR MICHAEL CRABTREE BEING LABELED A RISK
My Fantasy Read: According to ProfootballTalk.com, Crabtree remains unsigned and could be a no-show on Tuesday. There is some thought Crabtree could still be healing from his foot injury and the delayed negotiations could be a stall tactic to buy him some time. Whether there is any truth or rumor, some experts are labeling the rookie a very high risky fantasy pick at this time.


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

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

July 27th, 2009 10:37pm PST

The Second Best of the Bunch

Number two receivers that will rise….
With a complete crop of receivers to choose from every year, come draft time it can sometimes feels like a free for all with so many to choose; 32 number one and 32 number two wideouts. The hard lesson for some fantasy owners is, not all are cracked up to be what you thought, what you hoped, or what you were told.

Owners should not let the 2009 season be any different and should once again proceed with caution when drafting your wideouts for the upcoming jaunt. There will of course be your perennial favorites; Moss, Fitzgerald, and Johnson, and others that will be draw early attention in fantasy drafts.

But what is a fantasy owner to do once the well starts to dry? Not to fear, there will be plenty of depth at the wideout position across from the number one receiving option. One of the receivers that will be leading this campaign for the bunch of Second Bests, is Buffalo’s Lee Evans. He is likely to be overshadowed by the arrival T.O., but he’ll be a strong candidate to produce big in 2009. With so much attention going to Marshall in Denver, many should not forget Eddie Royal who caught 91 passes a year ago.

This class of receivers could be considered your Wes Welker of their respective team, not flashy, overshadowed, but most effective. As I mentioned Evans will head the class, below is how I would rank the top 10 number two receivers of the NFL;

2009 Class of “Wes Welkers’

1. Wes Welker (NE)…you can’t have a list named after you and not top it.
2. Anquan Boldin (Ari)…he’s really more of a 1b and could easily top this list.
3. Eddie Royal (Den)….91 receptions last seasons says it all.
4. Lance Moore (NO)…had a big 2008, but will step down behind Colston.
5. Donald Driver (GB)…still steady and consistent, but a clear no. 2 option.
6. Hines Ward (Pit)….still a safe play and favorite of Big Ben.
7. Kevin Curtis (Phi)…if 100%, could sneak up on everyone and return to 2007 form.
8. Laveranues Coles (Cin)…a healthy Palmer could mean a big season.
9. Anthony Gonzalez (Ind)…could surprise in 1st year as teams number two.
10. Deion Branch (Sea)…a healthy Hass could elevate his stock in 2009.
    
    Note Worthy:
    Steve Breaston (Ari)…could be a stretch, but has the talent.

Remember to check back for more "Monday Morning Huddle!"

FSH: SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NOTES

July 26th, 2009 7:37pm PST

Sunday Night Football Notes

Fantasy Football Strategy: Risk vs. Reward

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Brady will top the list of risky picks in 2009….
With the clock counting down to most fantasy drafts that will likely start in early august, fantasy owners must now start to consider their drafting strategy. Sure, you know the names and numbers, but if fantasy consistency will take you a long way.

In 2009 Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is going to head a list of risky fantasy candidates that owners must decide when is not too early to pull the trigger and take the risk. Last season, many fantasy owners saw their season’s hope flush down the proverbial toilet when Brady went down with injury in week one. Now fully recovered is he worth taking with a high draft position?

What about other quarterbacks like Carson Palmer (threw 26 touchdowns in 2007) and Matt Hasselbeck (threw 28 touchdowns in 2007) who will be returning from injury? With the quarterback position only requiring one starter in most leagues, it’s likely these two can be snatched up as high valued back-ups.

At other positions this option won’t be as likely. In the backfield, owners are looking for two solid plays and running back Steven Jackson may be one of those risk and reward picks this season. He will be valued as a low end RB1 or high-end RB2 by some, but could have a huge upside. Jackson appears to be a fantasy option that should get plenty of opportunity to hit his numbers. This is what fantasy owners must look for when considering making one of those risky draft selections.

By the same token, when you look at a player like Cutler going to Chicago; he lacks the same kind of skill set he had in Denver. The risk is his value could dip greatly with less production this season and it could cost an unlucky owner a high draft position to learn this fate. The former Bronco still has all his tools and there’s no doubt he will make his teammates better, but can he elevate their play to the same level where he was a top five fantasy quarterback.

Let’s not overlook the Antonio Bryant’s of the world. Just a year ago, out of nowhere Bryant turned in a spectacular season (83 receptions, 1,238-yards, 7 touchdowns) considering where he came from (did not play in 2007). In 2009 however, he could be looking at Byron Leftwich or Luke McCown thowing him the ball. A couple of names that hardly put fear in any defenses and ones that won’t offer a lot of appeal come fantasy draft time.

While there is some payoff along the risk and reward trail, for some fantasy owners’ consistency can pave its own way as well. Quarterbacks like Peyton Manning offer security due to their reliability and of course, consistency (4,000-yards passing, 27 touchdowns in 2008).

Lets not forget, the less than flashy players like Ryan Grant (312 carries in 2008) and Eddie Royal (91 receptions last season), while they won’t go overlooked on anyone’s draft list, they could offer as much value in a higher slot than many are projecting, simply because of the consistency factor and favored situation they will play in this season.

Consistency and safe bets can carry an owner a lot way, but winning in any fantasy league will require a little of both. So pick your poisons carefully and good luck this season.


By David Ortega

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

FSH: SUNDAY NIGHT FANTASY FOOTBALL HEADLINES

July 26th, 2009 10:37pm PST

Sunday Night FF Headlines

Who’s making Fantasy News this Past Week?

Drew Bennett retires:
Easy come and easy go in Baltimore. Only three days after signing with the Ravens has wide receiver Drew Bennett announced his retirement. Bennett had become a regular injury casualty over the past couple of season and it appears an old knee injury is what has ended his eight year career.

We’re Picking Steven Jackson to reach the top:
After looking at the numbers over the past couple of seasons, we like a healthy Jackson in 2009 to out-duel all running backs in fantasy. Jackson will be the featured runner in St. Louis and with no threat in the backfield to steal carries he could see upwards towards 300 carries this season. Just three season ago Jackson turned in a monster fantasy season with over 2,300 total yards and 16 total touchdowns.

Michael Turner will be a big favorite on draft day:
There’s little doubt after his solid debut with nearly 1,700-yards on the ground as the Falcons featured runner in 2008, turner is going to be high on everyone’s fantasy draft-list. Perhaps the most compelling factors that owners’ should consider if they are going to draft Turner, is his 17 rushing touchdowns and 376 rushing attempts in 2008. He won’t likely top that many in 2009, but he should come close to 330-plus.

LT to be the featured back in San Diego:
According to head coach Norv Turner, the Chargers are planning to make L.T. their guy once again in San Diego and back-up Darren Sproles will focus on special teams. Give Tomlinson’s current track record that all sounds well in good, but the safe approach seems to make the better sense. Fantasy owners should be cautious not to read too deep, because the importance of a healthy L.T. heading into the playoffs will outweigh everything else.

Warner not expected to throw more in 2009:
According to head coach Whisenhunt the plan in 2009 will be to have a more balanced attack. And that may just be the case, but still expect to see Warner to post solid fantasy numbers this season. With perhaps the leagues best set of receivers in Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Breaston, it will be real difficult for the Cardinals to play away from their strength.

Rice expected to open camp as starter:
Not that this is stop the presses kind of news, but the word across the wire, running back Ray Rice will likely open camp as the starter. With veteran running back Willis McGahee and fullback Leron McClain figuring in the mix, this could be a fantasy mess worth avoiding. If one must pick a poison, McClain could figure to be the lesser of all evils.

The Injury bug follows Westbrook:
Fantasy owners should be cautious when drafting running back Brian Westbrook who is expected to return in mid-August from off-season surgery. Last season Westy was slowed by leg injuries that limited his performance and he’s already starting the 2009 season as a question mark. It’s expected he’ll be ready for the opening kick-off, but the aging veteran could see less work this season and at 30 he’s going to be an injury risk.


By David Ortega

Check back every Sunday for more “Sunday Night FF Headlines!”