End of an Era

I have decided to discontinue posting fantasy football articles for the 2011 season. My available time for writing has become limited, which has affected how interesting the articles are that I write. I am aware that just giving statistics is less than entertaining, and thus have decided to bring this era to a close. And what a 12-week era it was.

Week 6 Three G's

QB

1.       Gimme: Aaron Rodgers—He’s shredding defenses and faces St. Louis this week. Bench the rest of your team, you won’t need them.

2.       Game-Changer: Tony Romo—He would have fit into the “Gimme” category if he hadn’t been throwing multiple interceptions in the 4^th quarter. I put him here specifically for the owner that might have Romo and Matthew Stafford (I do). This week, I would actually start Romo over Stafford based on their matchups.

3.       Gamble: Sam Bradford—He has also fallen from higher ranks. St. Louis has gone from the favorite to win the division to barely worth noticing. If Green Bay can avoid another slow start, they should be up early and force Bradford into 50+ pass attempts against a vulnerable secondary.

Week 5 Three G's

It’s bye-week time. This is what separates the contenders from the pretenders. Starting 4-0 doesn’t mean much if you can’t make the right decisions for replacement players from weeks 5-11. Hopefully my advice will help propel you to the next level.

Week 4 Three G's

Detroit will have the league’s best record at the midpoint of the regular season. Yep, that comes from a Packers fan. They can win on the road (@TB Week 1, @MIN Week 2). They can score points (27, 48, 26). They are not the Lions of old (broke 13-year losing streak in Minnesota). Their schedule shapes up nicely as well, with an injured Cowboys team next week followed by three home games before traveling to Denver. Could it be possible that they will be 8-0 headed into their bye week? I actually think they go 7-1, but either way, look out for those Lions!

QB

1.       Gimme: Tom Brady—He may be on his way to an NFL MVP. Oakland is not the same without Nnamdi in the secondary. Oh, and the Patriots won’t mind taking last week’s loss out on the up-and-coming Raiders.

2.       Game-Changer: Eli Manning—He looked really, really bad in the preseason and in week one, but he has picked up his game the last two weeks. That includes a matchup last week against the stud cornerbacks in Philly. Arizona is ranked 26^th in fantasy points given up to opposing quarterbacks.

3.       Gamble: Jason Campbell—New England might be up big in this game by halftime, so Oakland is going to be forced to throw the ball, though they’d much rather run it. Campbell has actually looked like a starting NFL quarterback this season, and the Patriots give up a ton of passing yards.

Week 3 Three G's

I am not a complete fantasy football idiot. If I was, I wouldn’t have had the courage to start writing these articles, and you wouldn’t believe a word I say. You still may not believe me, but I redeemed myself in week two by going 3-0 in my fantasy leagues, scoring the most points in two of them. I also happened to hit on 12 of 16 of my week two picks, though I was 9 yards off in my Rex Grossman prediction. Week three shapes up like this:

Week 2 Three G's

Don’t you hate it when you wake yourself up just before your alarm goes off in the morning? I do that on a regular basis, but a recent occurrence of this event was unique. A very minor and random facet of a dream led me to spit onto my pillow, and thus on myself. Good morning. Maybe it had something to do with my fantasy football weekend because I definitely spat on myself there. At least I hit on several of my “Three G’s” last week. Here are my picks for Week 2:

Week 1 Three G's

Opening night is upon us, and all of your preparation is about to come to fruition. You’ve tweaked and re-tweaked your opening weekend roster, but just in case there’s still work to be done, take a gander at this week’s Three G’s:

QB

1.       Gimme: Aaron Rodgers & Drew Brees—You never considered benching either of these guys, but they may even exceed your expectations in week one. They are two of the top quarterbacks, playing on opening night in primetime. Even though I’m a believer in Green Bay’s defense, expect a shootout in this one.

2.       Game-Changer: Kevin Kolb—Kolb played well early in 2010 before injuries allowed Vick to take over. I don’t like him as a fantasy starter for the whole season, but this week he plays Carolina. I foresee a reoccurring theme with anyone playing Carolina.

3.       Gamble: Kerry Collins—How old is this guy? Seventeen seasons and a retirement and un-retirement into his career, he finds himself in the best situation yet. Peyton is doubtful for week one and I don’t think he will play even though it’s a division opponent. I expect Houston to lead for most of this game, and Indy is a pass-first team even without Manning at the helm.

What are the Three G's?

When I thought about creating this blog and offering fantasy analysis, I struggled with forming the concept for my in-season weekly article. I wanted to create something original and try to customize the advice to fit the individual player. To do this, I decided to also create a Twitter account (@SackofCheese) so that my followers can ask for fantasy advice for their specific teams throughout the week and leading up to kickoff. Please feel free to contact me there or through the comments section of the blog at any time.

Secondly, I will post a weekly article highlighting three players from the positions of QB, RB, WR, and TE, as well as three D/ST. I’ll be referring to them as The Three G’s, which is not to be confused with your wireless network. I’ll also throw a kicker in at the end in the form of, well, a kicker. Read on to find out more.

1.       “The Gimme”—Like a two-foot putt, you should be able to count on this guy. He’s not going to be available on the waiver wire, but you better not consider benching him for the week if he is on your team. He’s set to have a formidable week.

2.       “The Game-Changer”—He might not be available on the waiver wire in all leagues, but you might find him on your bench. He can usually be counted on for decent numbers, but this is the week he could lead you to victory.

3.       “The Gamble”—If you are playing a standard league, he is probably available. He is essentially my ‘pickup of the week’ at his position. He could boom or bust this week, but if you’ve got room in your lineup, you might find yourself in the midst of an explosion.

“Kicker of the Week”—If you need a kicker to fill a bye slot, or are looking to rotate kickers each week to maximize points, this is your guy. He should be available on the waiver wire unless your leaguemates read the weekly article before you did.

2011 Top 100

The following is a list of my top 100 fantasy players in your 2011 draft. If Chris Johnson signs a contract by September 1, he moves up this list to #2. Peyton Manning’s injury hurts his draft value, but this list is made with the expectancy that he will be in the starting lineup by week 3.

	Player	Position	Team
1.	Adrian Peterson	RB	MIN
2.	Jamaal Charles	RB	KC
3.	Ray Rice	RB	BAL
4.	Arian Foster	RB	HOU
5.	Chris Johnson	RB	TEN
6.	Andre Johnson	WR	HOU
7.	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB
8.	Roddy White	WR	ATL
9.	Maurice Jones-Drew	RB	JAC
10.	LeSean McCoy	RB	PHI

Are You Ready?

The NFL regular season starts September 7. Did it sneak up on you? I blame the lockout. Regardless of your readiness, time is running out. With that in mind, it is time to get a handle on your 2011 fantasy football draft strategy.

Strategy can change from year to year based on the talent pool at each position, but there are a few rules I have always followed:

Top 5 Van Winkles

My top five sleepers for the 2011 fantasy football season are all players with a new team, including one rookie. These players have lowered expectations because of previous mediocre seasons, but a change in scenery could be just what the doctor ordered.

5. Matt Hasselbeck, QB (TEN) This is a guy that has been mediocre the past two seasons with a rebuilding Seattle team. While he is not exactly stepping into a system built to win this year, he is gaining one very valuable asset in his backfield. Chris Johnson will draw eight men into the box on a regular basis, putting the Titans’ receivers in man-to-man coverage. Johnson will also be used as a receiver out of the backfield for Hasselbeck and is dangerous with the ball in the open field. Expect Hasselbeck to go undrafted in most leagues, but he could be worth a late round draft choice.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Once the NFL lockout finally ended, a frenzy of negotiations and free agent signings took place. The whole ordeal was a bit like setting a plate of pizza rolls out for your teenage son and his three comrades. After only a few minutes nothing is left but the crumbs, or in this case, Braylon Edwards. Now that most of the free agency has been sorted out, I will start my pre-draft player analysis with a list of this year’s top 10 sleeper picks. Here are numbers 10-6. Come back soon for my top 5 sleepers in 2011.

Pizza rolls. Not just for breakfast anymore.

10. Randall Cobb, WR (GB) Cobb was Green Bay’s second round draft choice this year. Though he likely will not crack the top four on the depth chart at receiver, he has the potential to be a factor purely because of his versatility. He will start the season as a punt returner, and could also get some time on kickoffs. He will see some action on offense in a Percy Harvin-type role, which could expand as the season wears on. Cobb is a deep sleeper that should go undrafted in almost all leagues, but keep your eye on him to be the first to grab him off waivers.

What's in a Name?

As the NFL Lockout continues, eager fantasy football players have created their leagues, set draft dates, and perhaps most importantly, developed the team name that will represent them in the upcoming season. For some, it is a representation of last year’s success (Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood) or failure (Forgetting Brandon Marshall). Some may have a proven team name (Steel Curtain) they have retained for years, while it may be time to let others go (Do Us All a Favre and Retire).

Guard Your Hearts and Fantasy Football Rosters

The longest NFL work stoppage prior to the 2011 lockout was 57 days in 1982. That number has been far surpassed, and in fact, this lockout has now exceeded 100 days. There does seem to be an end in sight, though ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said he has only “cautious optimism” on the June 23 edition of Mike and Mike in the Morning, and that fans should “guard their hearts.” Should the NFL owners and players come to an agreement by mid-July, all aspects of the preseason and regular season schedules would not be impacted, but this does not mean that the fantasy football season would not be affected.

It's That Time Again?

When I opened my email inbox just the other day, I couldn’t believe my eyes. That’s right, in the middle of June, I got my first invite to a fantasy football league for the upcoming season. The middle of June, really? It got me to thinking: “How early is too early to start thinking about fantasy football?”

The answer is never. You may be more inclined to get a jump start if you had a rough season last year, and I would recommend it. If your league includes a wager or reward, it is definitely not too early to start. The last thing you want to happen is to get a draft reminder the week before your draft, only to realize you have done no research about the upcoming season! Some say fantasy football is mostly about luck, but I say you create your own luck by processing as much information as possible to make educated decisions.

My goal for this season is to provide you with such information in a different way than your typical media outlets. I will start with articles relating to various aspects of the game to help you approach the season and your draft in a simple, yet thorough way. When the season arrives, I will post weekly articles with a different approach than the typical “start ‘em or sit ‘em.” Finally, I will open up the floor to you in order to provide you with personalized fantasy football advice! Look for more information on this as the season approaches. Be sure to follow this blog and follow me on Twitter @SackofCheese to get updates about new articles in the coming weeks.