FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

September 1st, 2011 Thurssday

David’s Daily Digest

2011 Fantasy Tidbits

And just for the record, these tid-bits might be more like bite-size or mini-bits, but just the same I am going to share a few notes for thought and observations from the NFL Preseason that is quickly coming to a close. With the 2011 fantasy football season officially on countdown mode and opening kickoff now less than a week away, it’s time to take a quick look at what we have learned thus far or realize we are still clueless.

Some Quick pointers!

In Detroit, what I am hearing (and seeing) third year quarterback Matthew Stafford is quickly making a believer of many with his stellar play through the first three weeks of preseason; and why shouldn’t he the kid has barely completed a full-season of action in his first three years. While that might be true, it’s hard to deny the stars seem to be quickly aligning for the young Mr. Stafford, 24 of 31 passing, five touchdowns, and a passer rating of 154.0; oh yeah, he also had that Megatron kid to throw to.

It may only be a mirage we are seeing in Washington, but I have to say Tim Hightower (170 yards rushing, 6.8 average) is looking like a new running back behind a line that can actually run block (ranked number one in the preseason). The jury may still be out on Hightower, but his stock has quickly risen in the fantasy ranks, taken 20th in a recent custom fantasy draft (was ranked 48th in USA Today). The jury may still be out and it is a little premature to make any bold predictions, but I think we’ve seen enough to feel confident that Hightower ‘Could’ be more than fantasy relevant this season.

In Houston it seems that tight end Owen Daniels may not be getting as much fantasy love as he may deserve. It was only back in 2008 that he caught 70 balls, third most for tightends and this preseason he has looked pretty good collecting seven passes for 64 yards and a score. Unlike players like Gates, Witten, and Finley, Daniels does not appears to be part of a crowded passing attack and could see plenty of opportunity to move his fantasy stock up higher on most draft boards and cheat sheets.

The NFL season is set to start very quickly and looking across the board some of the biggest questions fantasy owners will face as they prepare for their drafts this weekend; who is number one, where do you draft Peyton Manning (neck), when do you take Chris Johnson (hold-out), and is New England a good fit for Ochocinco? There’s no right or wrong answer here, just know it’s going to be a lot of fun learning the truths about these questions and plenty more fantasy related topics over the next 16-17 weeks. Fantasy Football 2011 is here and it’s time to play ball, are you ready some football?


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

August 31st 2011, Wednesday

Back on Track

The Next Stop; Fantasy Football 2011

Although it is highly unlikely, but for those of you that have not been keeping up with current events, the NFL is back on track and Fantasy Football 2011 is here. And actually, the NFL has been on the tracks heading toward Kickoff 2011 for several weeks now.

With the Preseason set to enter its’ fourth and final week, it’s time for those of you that have yet to do so, get your fantasy draft done. It’s been an entire summer of little conversation and non-climatic events that have brought most football fans and the entire fantasy world to this cataclysmic frenzy that is final Fantasy Draft Weekend.

If you are one of those lucky folks preparing for your league’s draft, it’s time to break out the cheat-sheets, check those injury reports, and review those player rankings; this is no time to get sloppy, every pick counts.

With the final week of preseason slated to begin in less than 24 hours, it’s time to get caught up with my 2011 player rankings, fantasy predictions, and my best analysis of fantasy studs, sleepers, and those you want to forget.

Stay with me all season and we’ll be bouncing fantasy takes, spins, and rumors back and forth as we enjoy fantasy football 2011.

Good luck to everyone who plays and for those that don’t, you are missing out! What are you waiting for!

By David Ortega

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FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

July 27th, 2011 Wednesday

David’s Daily Digest

FANTASY FOOTBALL IS BACK!

Now that the NFL owners and players have ironed out their differences and ended this cumbersome lockout, it’s time to start talking fantasy football. We all knew we would end up here in the long run, but with the delay caused by the disruption there is going to be a lot of football activity over the coming weeks with NFL free agency, rookie signings, and possible trades all accelerated.

A lot has already taken place in the few short days since the end of the lockout, but there’s still plenty more that will happen. With players moving from one place to the next, it’s going to be a whole lot of fun to try and figure out what the impact will be with players like McNabb in Minnesota and Hasselbeck in Tennessee. And what about players like Tim Tebow or Tavaris Jackson, what will be there expectations as potentially new starters?

This week and weekend is expected to be a whirlwind of more activity, plenty of player moves to fuel the fantasy fire for the water-coolers on Monday. With that said I will add, it’s good to have football back and this season is already shaping up to be another great year of gridiron action.

After four months of basically inactivity, I am ready for some football!


By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

March 13th, 2011 Sunday

David’s Daily Digest

2011 Fantasy Football Players

As we start looking toward the upcoming 2011 season (with fingers crossed), it’s hard to imagine any new surprises for fantasy owners at the quarterback spot. We all saw quite evident the growth and progression of Michael Vick in the pocket, the arrival of Aaron Rodgers as one of the games’ best, and the several young arms that continue to make strides with their progression.

2011 should present a host of options for owners to choose from at the quarterback spot. A couple of names that come to mind that could offer plenty of return investment on their draft selection include quarterback Matt Ryan and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

After solid fantasy showings in 2010 Ryan and Fitzpatrick are two less-than-marquee names that could surprise folks with strong follow-up performances in 2011…..

Fantasy Quarterback…..

Matt Ryan (Falcons)

The Falcons young quarterback Matt Ryan has continually improved since his arrival into the league in 2008 and for fantasy owners his progression has been a huge reward. Ryan finished the 2010 season with over 3,700 yards passing and 28 touchdowns; he was fantasy’s number eight scoring quarterback (traditional scoring).

Matty “Ice” was particularly strong at home this past season throwing 15 touchdowns and just three picks finishing with a 7-1 record. Ryan was also very consistent passing for more than 200 yards with multiple touchdowns in eight games; he also had nine total games with multiple touchdowns including four games with three touchdowns. With one of the leagues’ premiere wide receivers (Roddy White) to throw to and a talented young receiving corp Ryan should have little trouble duplicating his numbers.

After his big 2010 season, Ryan has shown the growth and maturity of a big-time clutch passer and his number eight finish in fantasy (among quarterbacks) will make him a mid-draft fantasy selection favorite. Ryan should easily be a top ten fantasy quarterback in 2011, but he’s not going to go early among the quarterbacks; the later you can grab him will offer the best value.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bills)

The Bills quarterback had quietly what could be considered a breakout season. Before the 2010 season Fitzpatrick had hardly made a name for himself with two seasons in St. Louis and two in Cincinnati. In 2009 he did start eight games with the Bills, but his passing numbers were less than mediocre and he finished with a 69.7 passer rating.

In 2010 Fitzpatrick enjoyed his coming out party with the Bills passing for 3,000 yards, completing nearly 58% of his passes, and tossing 23 touchdowns in just 13 games. Ryan did struggle down the stretch and toss 15 picks last season which could deter some owners, but with a full camp as the starter under his belt in 2011 he should be more that capable of ironing out the bugs.

Fitzpatrick had plenty of strong numbers in 2010 that should keep him in good company as a solid back-up fantasy quarterback in 2011. He’ll also benefit greatly with his returning cast of receivers in 2011 that will include Stevie Johnson, Roscoe Parrish, and Lee Evans (if he is not released). Fitzpatrick has started 33 games over the past three seasons, so 2011 should be make-it-or-break-it time; he’s not a fantasy starter, but could give owners some relief as an insurance back with a few spots starts and bye week replacement.

That’s how I read it for 2011 under center….

By David Ortega

FSH NOTEBOOK: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

March 12th, 2011 Saturday

David’s Daily Digest

2011 Fantasy Football Players

With future of the 2011 season currently in limbo as the two sides decide how to split our (the fans) money, we’ll continue with prepping for the coming season which still has every possibility of starting on time. Even if this dispute drags well into the summer, there is every indication from many of the prognosticators following the situation that the 2011 season can still be salvaged with just a few games less.

On that note we continue our tour of the 2011 fantasy players looking through the class of quarterback talent that will be available in fantasy drafts this summer….

Fantasy Quarterback…..

Josh Freeman (Buccaneers)

In just his second year, the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback Josh Freeman helped lead his team to a 10-6 record, just missing the playoffs. Last season Freeman passed for nearly 3,500 yards and tossed 25 touchdowns with just six picks finishing with a passer rating of 95.9 (ranked 6th in the league). Freeman was particularly efficient and effective down the stretch in his last four starts completing nearly 73% of his passes while throwing nine touchdowns and no interceptions.

At 6’6” Freeman has the ideal size to be your traditional pocket passer, but with 364 yards rushing he has great escape-ability and athleticism to be even more dangerous out of the pocket. Following a very sub-par and non-spectacular rookie season Freeman flew well under the fantasy radar in 2010, but after his sophomore success he’s going to be on many owners draft lists this summer.

The Buccaneers are a fastly improving program and with young talent like LeGarrette Blount, Mike Williams, and Kellen Winslow Jr. surrounding their young quarterback, Freeman will only get better. He’s not reached the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL just yet, but Freeman is well on his way.

Freeman is not likely to throw for a big chunk of yardage at any particular time with the Bucs being more of a balanced team that likes to run, but he’s still a close second tier level fantasy quarterback (amongst the Flaccos and Schaubs). His talent and skill level would suggest big game possibility as evident in his five touchdown performance against the Seahawks in week 16 last season, but the young gunslinger should still be considered a bit of a risky fantasy starter.

Last season Freeman had nine games in 2010 where he threw one or fewer touchdowns; in three of those games he also passed for less than 200 yards. He would probably serve much better as your number two quarterback; his accuracy offers the upside of an occasional big game (look for the matchups); he did have three games last season where he passed for more than 200 yards with multiple touchdowns.

In dynasty and keeper leagues, he’s definitely one worth stashing on the back of the grill while he seasons a bit longer (but not for too much longer).

By David Ortega