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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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2008 Fantasy Preview: NFC By Ric Atkinson Last time we took a team by team look at the fantasy prospects of every AFC team. This time we’ll break down the NFC the same way. NFC East: Dallas Cowboys: Lot of great fantasy plays on America’s Team. Romo, TO, and Witten are all key players to have on your team, but the real stud in Big D is Marion Barber. Look for a huge breakout year from him. It will cost you though, as he should be a top 8 pick at the latest.  New York Giants: I don’t like Eli, he’s too inconsistent to be a #1 fantasy QB. I do like Plaxico as a very good #2 and an excellent #3 WR. I’m also pretty high on Brandon Jacobs as a solid #2 RB. Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Westbrook is a top five pick in any league, but if you’re in a point-per-reception (PPR) league he’s even more valuable. Donovan McNabb is a big risk but he might pay big rewards if you can get him in the 7th or 8th round. Kevin Curtis is a good value pick in the later rounds as well. Washington Redskins: Jim Zorn is bringing the West Coast offense to Washington which, along with a healthy John Jansen and Randy Thomas on the o-line, should increase the fantasy value of both Clinton Portis and Santana Moss. I also really like Chris Cooley at the TE. He’s a perfect fit for this offense. NFC North: Chicago Bears: Matt Forte could be this year’s popular sleeper pick. But I like another Bear better. Chicago really doesn’t have any choice but to use Devin Hester on offense. Get him with a late, late round pick and you won’t be sorry. Hester’s value on special teams makes Chicago’s defense a top three D/ST. Detroit Lions: The big question is: how much does losing Mike Martz hurt the fantasy value of guys like Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, and John Kitna? I’ve down-graded all of these guys some from last year, but still think they will put up the kind of numbers that will keep you happy if they’re on your team. Running back Kevin Smith might be a real sleeper pick for the later rounds of a deep draft. Green Bay Packers: Is Ryan Grant for real? I think so. I see the Packers becoming more of “play tough defense and grind it out on the ground” now that Favre is gone (we assume for the time being anyway). Green Bay’s D/ST will be a solid play all season. Minnesota Vikings: I don’t need to tell you that Adrian Peterson is great. The real kicker is the great offensive line he runs behind. If you’re lucky enough to draft Peterson, be sure to handcuff him with Chester Taylor as well. I really like the Vikings D/ST. They were great last year (#1 against the run, and tops in D/ST touchdowns scored), and they’re even better now since they added one of the leagues best pass rushers in Jared Allen. NFC West: Arizona Cardinals: Here is a weird situation: I love Kurt Warner as a fantasy QB, but he’ll most likely start the season backing up Matt Leinart, who I don’t like at all as a fantasy QB. If Leinart holds on to the starting job, I think the value of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin takes a little bit of a hit. I do think Edgerrin James is undervalued. He is a solid #2 and great #3 RB, especially if he falls to the 5th round. (Note from Ron: Speaking of Edgerrin James, I had an argument about him and Jamal Lewis recently. How can Lewis be ranked in the 20s and James in the 40s? Both are getting older, both have had serious knee injuries, and both go from average to elite depending on the year. As Ric said, if you get James as your third back that is a great value.) San Francisco 49ers: One of the golden rules of fantasy football is: “Mike Martz makes fantasy studs”. Frank Gore will be the top option in San Fran. Don’t look for Marshall Faulk numbers, but he will give you good #1 running back numbers. Vernon Davis should also see a nice increase in touches, though he has got to find a way to stay healthy. One guy I am targeting in the late rounds of my drafts is Alex Smith. He is my #1 sleeper this year. Seattle Seahawks: I smell a “running back by committee” situation here. Stay away from that. Matt Hasselbeck is a good value pick in the 5th or 6th round. Other than him I’m avoiding Seahawks. St. Louis Rams: Another one of the golden rules of fantasy football: pick the guys in their contract years. There is no bigger player in his contract year than Steven Jackson. Look for him to have a huge year with 300+ carries behind a healthy o-line. Tory Holt is still a solid #1 fantasy WR. Marc Bulger is somewhat overlooked right now and would make a great value pick in the 7th or 8th round. NFC South: Atlanta Falcons: Michael Turner is out of LT’s shadow, and is an intriguing fantasy player. He should be in the spotlight with the Falcons, but that’s the smallest spotlight in the league. The Falcons do have a fairly weak schedule, which might help Turner. Roddy White could be a serviceable #3 WR. (Another note from Ron: Atlanta could be this season’s team to fade all year long. Whether than means betting against them or picking up whatever fantasy defense faces them each week, there should be a lot of value in going against the Falcons.) Carolina Panthers: Jake Delhomme was off to a very solid start before a week 3 injury. Look for him to come back strong this season. Steve Smith is a stud fantasy WR. Get him if you can. Don’t forget Ron’s top rookie fantasy RB is Jonathon Stewart. New Orleans Saints: Another golden rule of fantasy football: the third year is the charm for wide receivers. Marquis Colston is starting his 3rd year in the league. Look for him to step in to the role of an elite WR. Drew Brees just gets it done. Reggie Bush is dropping down on some draft boards, but I still see him as a solid #2 RB. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Looks like Cadillac Williams will miss as much as the first half of the season. In Williams’ absence, Earnest Graham had a solid fantasy impact last year, but he may lose touches to ageless Warrick Dunn so I’m leaving all the Bucs alone.  July 14, 2008 |
| NCAA Football | |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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