Set your lineup the right way!

Don’t let the bye week throw a monkey wrench in your lineup. These are some guys you need to get into your lineup somehow if you can.

QB

Steve McNair, Baltimore- He’s been putting the ball up a lot this year, and with 6 teams off this week, he’s definitely a must play against the sorry-a$$ Rams defense.

Damon Huard, Kansas City- Appears he’ll start, and if he does you have to consider him against the Bengals secondary minus a starting corner.

RB

Jason Wright and/or Jerome Harrison, Cleveland- They are likely to split carries if Jamal Lewis can’t play, but they go against Miami so they should have an opportunity to put up numbers.

Monitor situations with Kenny Watson (Cin), Sammy Morris (NE), Dominic Rhodes (Oak), and Derrick Ward (NYG) with the injury status of the starters ahead of them.

WR

Jerry Porter, Oakland- I have a feeling the Raiders are going to have to put it up early and often to keep up with the Chargers and Porter’s size will benefit him against the San Diego corners, who are on the small-side.

Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City- He is actually in the top 15 for all WR right now and gets a great match-up versus Cincy.

Braylon Edwards, Cleveland- I mention his name because if you have him and haven’t been starting him, you must be either loaded at WR or dumb. Get him in and leave him in.

The Jets and Eagles starting wide-outs are all good plays. Also strongly consider Derrick Mason is collecting a ton of catches (great for reception leagues) and even look at Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams of Baltimore.

Andre Davis, Houston- He is getting a ton of looks over the last couple weeks and he actually resembles the talented player he was at Virginia Tech. He isn’t a bad play until Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones return from injury.

If you are desperate, consider Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram who will start of the Seahawks this week.

There aren’t many top shelf guys to recommend benching on a week where six teams are on their bye, but here are a few to think about benching if you have a suitable replacement.

QB

Gus Frerotte, St. Louis- Wouldn’t suggest playing him with a beat up offensive line, and no Issac Bruce against the Ravens.

Vince Young, Tennessee- He really struggled last week, and I think he’ll be fine over the season, but the Bucs in Tampa wouldn’t be a good spot for him to bounce back.

RB

Ahman Green, Houston- He’s coming back this week, but you might want to keep him on your bench.

LaMont Jordan, Oakland- He may play, he may not, but based on Larry Johnson’s 12 yard effort last week, you might want to keep him reserved.

WR

Brandon Jones, Tennessee- See Vince Young.

Santana Moss and Antwan Randle-El, Washington- Moss is coming back from injury, and Randle-El had an amazing first half last week before getting hurt, but the Packers corners are pretty good.

And of course, don’t forget not to play anyone on Buffalo, Denver, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, or San Francisco.

Good Luck!

Tags: 2007, Fantasy, Mike Tuck, QB, Quarterback, RB, Running Back, Sleepers, Wide Receiver, WR

Dan Holtzman weighs in - Roy Williams a top 5 WR.

		QUARTERBACKS			RUNNING BACKS			WIDE RECEIVERS			TIGHT ENDS
	Rank	Player	TM	Rank	Player	TM	Rank	Player	TM	Rank	Player	TM
	1	Peyton	IND	1	LT	SD	1	Smith	CAR	1	Gates	SD
	2	Palmer	CIN	2	S Jackson	STL	2	Chad	CIN	2	T-Gonz	KC
	3	Brady	NE	3	Gore	SF	3	Holt	STL	3	Cooley	WAS
	4	Brees	NO	4	LJ	KC	4	Wayne	IND	4	Ver. Davis	SF
	5	Bulger	STL	5	Addai	IND	5	Roy Williams	DET	6	Heap	BAL
	6	McNabb	PHI	6	Parker	PIT	6	TO	DAL	7	K. Winslow	CLE
	7	Hasselbeck	SEA	7	Westbrook	PHI	7	Harrison	IND	8	Shockey	NYG
	8	Kitna	DET	8	Shaun	SEA	8	Fitz	ARI	5	Crumpler	ATL
	9	Romo	DAL	9	Rudi	CIN	9	Bolidin	ARI	9	Witten	DAL
	10	Cutler	DEN	10	Bush	NO	10	Evans	BUF	10	LJ Smith	PHI
	11	Rivers	SD	11	McGahee	BAL	11	Walker	DEN	11	Watson	NE
	12	Young	TEN	12	Maroney	NE	12	Housh	CIN	12	H. Miller	PIT
	13	Losman	BUF	13	Benson	CHI	13	Moss	NE	13	Graham	DEN
	14	Leinart	ARI	14	Henry	DEN	14	A. Johnson	HOU	14	D. Clark	IND
	15	Roethlisberger	PIT	15	MJD	JAX	15	Driver	GB	15	R. McMichael	STL
	16	Eli	NYG	16	T. Jones	NYJ	16	Colston	NO	16	Troupe	TEN
	17	Delhomme	CAR	17	Jacobs	NYG	17	S. Moss	WAS	17	O. Daniels	HOU
	18	A. Smith	SF	18	Ronnie Brown	MIA	18	Burress	NYG	18	Olsen	CHI
	19	Farve	GB	19	Portis	WAS	19	Coles	NYJ	19	M. Lewis	JAX
	20	Pennington	NYJ	20	Edge	ARI	20	R. Brown	PHI	20	Scaife	TEN
	21	Campbell	WAS	21	Barber III	DAL	21	Edwards	CLE	21	D. Martin	MIA
	22	Garcia	TB	22	McAllister	NO	22	Ward	PIT	22	Pollard	SEA
	23	McNair	BAL	23	A. Peterson	MIN	23	C. Johnson	DET	23	A. Smith	TB
	24	Leftwich	JAX	24	M. Lynch	BUF	24	Cotchery	NYJ	24	J Stevens	TB
	25	Harrington	ATL	25	Norwood	ATL	25	Clayton	BAL	25	Scheffler	DEN
	26	Grossman	CHI	26	Green	HOU	26	D. Jackson	SF	26	Baker	NYJ
	27	Schaub	HOU	27	J. Lewis	CLE	27	Galloway	TB	27	Des. Clark	CHI
	28	Tav. Jackson	MIN	28	Lamont	OAK	28	S. Holmes	PIT	28	Schiancoe	MIN
	29	Harrington	ATL	29	Caddy	TB	29	Glenn	DAL	29	D. Campbell	DET
	30	Croyle	KC	30	Fred Taylor	JAX	30	Branch	SEA	30	B. Celek	PHI
	31	Russell	OAK	31	De. Williams	CAR	31	Chambers	MIA
				32	Betts	WAS	32	V. Jackson	SD		PLACE KICKERS
		DEFENSE		33	B. Jackson	GB	33	Berrian	CHI	Rank	Player	TM
	Rank	Team		34	T. Bell	DET	34	Stallworth	NE	1	Vinateri	NE
	1	CHI		35	Foster	CAR	35	Curry	OAK	2	Wilkins	STL
	2	BAL		36	J. Jones	DAL	36	D. Henderson	NO	3	Graham	DEN
	3	NE		37	Dunn	ATL	37	Brandon Marshall	DEN	4	Gould	CHI
	4	SD		38	C. Henry	TEN	38	Hackett	SEA	5	Kaeding	SD
	5	PIT		39	Chester	MIN	39	B. Jones	TEN	6	Elam	DEN
	6	JAX		40	Turner	SD	40	Porter	OAK	7	Akers	PHI
	7	DAL		41	C. Brown	TEN	41	Bruce	STL	8	Gostkowski	NE
	8	PHI		42	Morency	GB	42	Bennett	STL	9	Rackers	ARI
	9	CAR		43	Ad. Peterson	CHI	43	Welker	NE	10	Stover	BAL
	10	DEN		44	M. Bell	DEN	44	Curtis	PHI	11	Brown	SEA
	11	MIA		45	Droughns	NYG	45	Mason	BAL	12	Mare	NO
	12	NYJ		46	Lendale White	TEN	46	M. Jones	JAX	13	Kasay	CAR
	13	MIN		47	Dayne	HOU	47	Crayton	DAL	14	Hanson	DET
	14	GB		48	Pittman	TB	48	A. Gonzalez	IND	15	Scobee	JAX
	15	SEA		49	K. Jones	DET	49	Jennings	GB	16	Nedney	SF
	16	OAK		50	Buckhalter	PHI	50	D. Carter	CAR	17	Reed	PIT
	17	TB		51	Mo. Morris	SEA	51	J. Jones	HOU	18	Longwell	MIN
	18	SF		52	Dominick Rhodes	OAK	52	Ja Jones	GB	19	Lindell	BUF
	19	KC		53	Dede Dorsey	IND	53	R. Smith	DEN	20	Nugent	NYJ
	20	ATL		54	M. Robinson	SF	54	Horn	NE
	21	NO		55	Tony Hunt	PHI	55	Meachem	NO
	22	BUF		56	Leonard	STL	56	Furrey	DET
	23	NYG		57	M. Bush	OAK	57	Muhammed	CHI
	24	ARI		58	Sammy Morris	NE	58	Toomer	NYG
	25	WAS		59	K Faulk	NE	59	Kennison	KC
	26	IND		60	A. Pittman	NO	60	Jurevicius	CLE
	27	CIN		61	Priest	KC	61	Reg. Williams	JAX
	28	STL					62	Stovall	TB
	29	DET					63	Jarrett	CAR
	30	HOU					64	Stokley	DEN
							65	Battle	SF
							66	T. Williamson	MIN
							67	T. Perry	CIN
							68	K. Walter	HOU
							69	Mi Clayton	TB
							70	Hester	CHI
							71	Bowe	KC
							72	B. Johnson	ARI

 

And the sleepers …

Tags: 2007, Cheatsheets, Dan Holtzman, Fantasy, Football, PK, Place Kickers, QB, Quarterback, Rankings, RB, Running Back, Sleepers, TE, Tight End, Wide Receiver, WR

Here are some super-sleepers

Time to dig deep. Forget about telling you I think your 12th rated RB can become a top 10 guy.You already made your mind up for the top of your rankings and even who you’d like to see as starters for your team. I am going to give you some names that you may have never considered drafting until now!Let me add, I play in a league where there are 32 rounds, most of you do not. So some of these names I list will not apply because you league may not be deep enough, but you might want to keep an eye on these guys nonetheless.

QUARTERBACKS

Not as important a task for leagues that start just one. But here are some guys that you may just be able to grab late as backups that could blossom into solid number twos.

Jason Campbell, Washington

Played half a season last year and was very efficient throwing 10 TD’s to ony 6 INT. Also did that with no Clinton Portis and with Santana Moss struggling with injury, not much else on the outside. He has had a great offseason and has shown the ability to grow into the position like he did at Auburn. Look for 20 TD’s and over 2500 yards, a great option as a backup.

Kellen Clemens, NY Jets

A lot of backups obviously have more upside based on if their starter gets hurt, but here is a guy that may not be too far off from winning the job, especially if Pennington struggles out of the gate. Keep an eye on that situation.

Daunte Culpepper, Oakland

Can’t question the upside, that’s the reason I list him. If you take Peyton Manning, you may as well wait on taking a backup QB for as long as possible, and it is very possible that you could sneak Culpepper in the last round. And would you rather have Byron Leftwich, or maybe take a chance that Culpepper bounces back and you suddenly have an asset you can trade?

RUNNING BACK

LaMont Jordan, Oakland

Has the job to himself, lost weight, and gained perspective this offseason. Will get goal line carries and not that you should expect his numbers of two seasons ago, but he could be good for 10 TD’s which at least puts him in the Marion Barber neighborhood, a guy who is going much higher in drafts.

Tatum Bell and Kevin Jones, Detroit

At this hour KJ hasn’t been placed on the PUP, if he is watch Bell. For a team that will be a threat passing, that could open things up for the explosive Bell to put up numbers similar to two seasons ago where he had 1000 yards and 8 TD’s. If KJ isn’t placed on PUP, then he’ll have a chance to carve out a spot before Bell takes over and you could have a committee that cancels this projection out, but I’d still advice you to keep an eye on Jones regardless. He may only play 10 weeks, but he put up 1200 combined yards and 8 TD’s in just 12 games last year and you may “steal” him in the last round by owners wary of him missing the start of the season.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina

I know he is still the backup, but the Panthers o-line is in better shape this season, and they switched to a zone blocking scheme that should benefit Williams as that is what he ran to success behind at Memphis making him a first round pick. Sooner than later, Williams will take the job from Foster.

Tony Hunt, Philadelphia

Tough runner with some versitility. Drafted out of Penn St and in a position where you don’t think much, but consider Brian Westbrook is a small back and has missed an average of 3 games a year. Hunt will take over before Correll Buckhalter, and could be a nice last round pick that may pay you back sooner than later.

Keep an eye on Ladell Betts (top 10 rusher last year after Portis went down), Anthony Thomas, Jerious Norwood, and Cecil Sapp (could be a real vulcher this year!).

WIDE RECIEVERS

Devery Henderson, New Orleans

Big IF on him staying healthy, but now that he slides into that number two slot, could be a threat as a late pick to be a legit #2 fantasy WR. Marques Colston will draw much more attention with Joe Horn gone, and Henderson could be a big beneficiery.

Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh

Finished last year strong, and is now starting which means more looks his way. Look for close to 1000 yards and 5 TD’s turning him for a late round pick to a solid #3 fantasy WR.

Kevin Curtis, Philadelphia

Has great speed and being only the 4th option in the offense on an offense known for spreading it around, and the fact he’ll face a lot of single coverage, he could easily become a solid option off your bench as a flex position candidate.

Here are some LOOOOOONGER Shots (only if you have a deep league)

Ronald Curry, Oakland- 1100 and 7 just 3 years ago before injuries hit

Joe Jurevicious, Cleveland- a solid guy, strong red zone threat

Brandon Lloyd, Washington- strong bounce back candidate

Jacoby Jones, Houston- youngster maybe starting soon

Greg Jennings, Green Bay- if you are open, Favre will find you

Sidney Rice, Minnesota- explosive at S. Carolina, 15ypc and 23 TD’s in 2 seasons

Laurent Robinson, Atlanta- they love his speed, and much keeping him on the bench

Tab Perry, Cincinnati- sitting in Chris Henry’s spot for 8 games, could be early season surprise

TIGHT ENDS

David Martin, Miami

Athletic and playing in a system with a quarterback where the tight end is a top target. You can take him as a starter in the last round or use a flyer pick on him as a backup who will net you around 600 yards and 3-5 TD’s.

Reggie Kelly, Cincinnati

Especially in the first half of the season where the absence of Chris Henry will require someone else stepping up and being a threat.

DEFENSE

San Francisco

Were top 20 last year and with multiple defensive additions not far-fetched to think they could climb into the top 10.

Carolina

Pretty solid group that fell from top 5 fantasy D out of top 20. Odds are they climb back into the top 10, especially when you consider they play Bucs and Falcons offense twice each.

Jacksonville

Look, defenses outside of Baltimore and Chicago are kind of a crap shoot anyway. Jags defense ranked 27th in fantasy last year in large part to the fact they only recovered 4 fumbles! Are you kidding? Law of averages says they climb back to the league average of 12, which will put them just outside the top 10.

KICKERS

Don’t bother. Take someone who is realible on a good team as late as possible and don’t look back.

Good luck! -Mike Tuck

Tags: 2007, Fantasy, Football, Mike Tuck, PK, Place Kickers, QB, Quarterback, RB, Running Back, Sleepers, TE, Tight End, Wide Receiver, WR

Greg Gammell’s view on the top sleepers and busts for 2007.

SLEEPERS

QB - J. Garcia, Tampa Bay - What Jeff Garcia did last year in Philadelphia last year was no fluke.  In Philadelphia, Garcia was throwing to D. Stallworth and R. Brown.  In Tampa, Garcia will be throwing to J. Galloway and another player that I think with bounce back, M. Clayton.  Garcia will be under the supervision of a coach that will utilize Jeff to his fullest capability.  John Gruden is a smart guy with an West Coast Offensive mind.  Look for Garcia to have a solid year and keep Tampa Bay in playoff contention til the very end. 

QB - E. Manning, New York Giants - Look back at his final stats from last year and you might be surprised, they weren’t bad.

3,244 Total Passing Yards
24 Td’s
18 Int’s

These numbers won’t blow you away, but they are solid numbers for a fantasy QB.  The Giants lost Tiki Barber, but I believe E. Manning will pick up the slack and throw for 28 Td’s this year with fewer Int’s.  I definitely believe E. Manning will silence many critics and produce a top 6 fantasy year among the Qb’s.

RB - W. McGahee, Baltimore - McGahee is a HUGE improvement over J. Lewis.  Baltimore possesses a solid offensive line and a well balanced attack.  This will open up lanes for McGahee.  I believe at year end, McGahee has the potential to be a top 5 fantasy back.  He is worth a pick late in the first round / early second round.

RB - C. Williams, Tampa Bay - Yes, Cadillac will bounce back from his injury plagued year and have a solid season for the Bucs.  Jeff Garcia will provide stability at the Qb position which is something Tampa didn’t have last year.  Cadillac will increase his touches and catch more passes out of the backfield.  Cadillac has a lot of potential so take the chance on this guy in a year where everyone seems to be down on him. 

WR - A. Johnson, Houston - First off, let me start by saying  that I’m not sure M. Schuab is a better QB than David Carr.  Also, the offensive line must improve. But, I believe that A. Johnson’s Td’s will increase this season.  Johnson has another year under his belt and I think the addition of McKardell will help.  Adding A. Green should help the ground attack which in return will help the passing attack.  This will be the year that A. Johnson becomes a legitimate #1 fantasy WR.

WR - D. Jackson, San Francisco - D. Jackson is a #1 WR in the NFL.  D. Jackson is underrated and under appreciated.  Alex Smith has another year under his belt as the starter.  Vernon Davis is going to flourish this year as the 49ers TE.  Alex Smith will find Darrell Jackson, and he will find him often.  The 49ers will make a run into the playoff and surprise a lot of people by how balanced their offensive attack will be.

WR - D. Mason, Baltimore - I look for Mason to back to his old form.  Mason and McNair will go back to their days in Tennessee.  I see Mason having 80 receptions, 1,000 yards, and 7 TD’s this year.

TE - V. Davis, San Fransisco - This is the year that the 49ers offense is back.  Vernon Davis will emerge as an elite TE.  I believe V. Davis will finish 3rd among all TE’s behind Antonio Gates and Todd Heap.

BUSTS

QB - V. Young, Tennessee - Tennessee lost Drew Bennett and T. Henry.  Vince Young will now be the sole focus of every defense that Tennessee faces.  Name me the rest of the Titans WR’s…  WHO will Vince throw to?  Michael Vick was always suppose to take off as a top fantasy QB, but that never happened.  Until Vince has some go to WR’s, don’t tell me he is a fantasy stud.

RB - L. Maroney, New England - I personally believe people are too high on the often injured Maroney.  When healthy, he is a stud.  The problem is that Maroney is never healthy.  He always has nagging injuries.  Now that C. Dillon is gone, Maroney will take all of the punishment.  My guess is that Maroney won’t hold up.

RB - M. Lynch, Buffalo - Lynch was a stud at Cal, but he wasn’t better than McGahee was at Miami.  Lynch won’t post better numbers than McGahee, period.  As long as Losman is the starting QB, defenses will be stocking up against the run and making Losman beat them….  That won’t happen, ever.

WR - M. Colston, New Orleans - I’m not saying that Colston will be a flop, but I don’t see him projected as a top 10 fantasy WR.  I see him having a drop off from last years stats due to the fact that he will be getting every teams #1 CB. 

WR - L. Evans, Buffalo - JP Losman.  Enough said.

WR - R. Moss, New England - Moss is a cancer.  He takes plays off, doesn’t try, and rarely gives 100%.  That won’t float in New England.  I predict that Moss will be cut at some point this season once they realize that the change of scenery wasn’t the fix.

TE - A. Crumpler, Atlanta - This is another easy one.  Joey Harrington.  It’s just that simple.  Harrington hasn’t been successful anywhere.  Mark Atlanta down as another failed Harrington trial.

Tags: 2007, Busts, Fantasy, Football, Greg Gammell, QB, Quarterback, RB, Running Back, Sleepers, TE, Tight End, Wide Receiver, WR

Don’t get caught sleeping on draft day.

UPDATED 08/27/07 

Quarterbacks

Sleeper

Jay Cutler, Denver - Mike Shanahan has a good eye for quarterback talent and he does a great job of putting his quarterbacks in a position to succeed. Cutler has a rocket arm and serviceable talent surrounding him.

Bust

Vince Young, Tennessee – I am having a hard time understanding how Vince Young is rated so highly at the quarterback position. Sure, Young has unlimited potential but not in an offense with unpolished wide receivers and questionable running backs. Expect Young to finish the season with less than 20 touchdowns and an interception total that surpasses it.

Running Backs

Sleepers

Travis Henry, Denver – Henry is one of those guys who is underappreciated as a runner – granted he isn’t a great receiver. If Henry can run for 1,200 yards behind Tennessee’s offensive line it’s not far fetched that he could run for 1,500 and 12 touchdowns for the Broncos. As a matter of fact, he will, you heard it here first.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota - Adrian Peterson was one of the best selections of the 2007 NFL draft and he is going to be one of the best selections you can make in your fantasy football league drafts as well. Peterson will split time with Chester Taylor for a few weeks but expect Peterson to assume primary ball carrying duties by mid-season. (added on 08/27/07)

Busts

Clinton Portis, Washington – A guy who surprisingly gets more respect than he deserves even though he continues to under perform in Washington. I will go as far as to say that Ladell Betts would be the better option for the Redskins. Portis is also at risk in terms of fantasy potential due to being paired up in the backfield with a second year quarterback who still has a lot to learn about the NFL game.

Shaun Alexander, Seattle - I am surprised to see how high Shaun Alexander is being selected in the various fantasy football drafts I have participated in thus far. Most consider him the 5th - 7th best fantasy running back - I’m guessing this is based on his pre-2006 statistical history. What I saw last year was a slow-footed running back on the downside of his NFL career. I don’t see him posting more than 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. (added on 08/27/07)

Wide Receivers

Sleepers

Reggie Brown, Philadelphia – Brown is on the verge of entering the upper echelon of wide receivers in the NFL. Very consistent, good route runner with great hands. It doesn’t hurt that he has a pro bowl quarterback throwing darts to him. Expect 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns from Brown in 2007.

Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh - It generally takes 2-3 years for receivers to make an impact in the NFL and Holmes is well on his way entering year two. Holmes reminds me of a mixture, 2 parts Steve Smith and 1 part Marvin Harrison - not bad. Holmes will make for a great pick as a your #3 wide receiver. (added 08/27/07)

Busts

Plaxico Burress, New York Giants – The New York Giants are in trouble this season. Their offense will be exposed with the losses of Tiki Barber and Luke Petitgout. The heat will be on Eli Manning this season and I have a strong hunch that Manning is going to have a hard time getting the ball out. Burress likes to stretch the field and that’s not possible when you have defenses applying constant pressure.

Randy Moss, New England Patriots - This can be summed up in a few words … off to a bad start. Moss has spent more time in the training room than on the field and that doesn’t bode well for building chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady. Wide receiver Donte Stallworth has started building that chemistry I talked about … advantage, Stallworth. (added 08/27/07)

Tight Ends

Sleeper

Vernon Davis, San Francisco – Tight ends usually take two-to-three years on average to make their marks in the NFL and Vernon Davis’s time is now. After dealing with injuries and inconsistencies in 2006, Davis has worked extremely hard during the offseason and it has already shown. This is the year Mr. Joe Public sees why Davis was selected with the #6 pick in the 2006 NFL draft.

Bust

Desmond Clark, Chicago – Clark had a stellar campaign in 2006, but in 2007 he will have to share catches with rookie sensation Greg Olsen. Add to that Clark’s career average touchdowns per season before 2006 of two and that makes this an obvious pick for me.

Tags: 2007, Busts, Fantasy, Football, QB, Quarterback, RB, Running Back, Skip Gibson, Sleepers, TE, Tight End, Wide Receiver, WR