insight into the world of sport

After a devastating injury that will sideline Osi Umenyiora for the rest of the season the rumors started swirling of a return of another future Hall of Famer to the Big Apple. The Giants are in desperate need for a replacement for their Pro Bowl defensive end, and what better than to replace him with a New York legand in Michael Strahan. He has the skills to still play and compete at a high level. He already knows the system and will make the defense much stronger. Also his presence in the locker room will make a improvement. The coming days will show wether a comeback is going to happen.

The NFL teams not named Packers, Vikings, Buccanners and Jets should be thanking Brett Favre. When I was reading a really good column by Jason Whitlock today on www.foxsports.com called NFL Truths. Jason was talking about how teams really should be thanking Brett Favre. Think about it, before the Brett Favre Saga began there was talks about the Bengals and thier off the field issues and Chad Johnson’s demand to be traded. Also their would still be a barrage of  stories about Spygate, The Patriots, and Matt Walsh. Before Farvegate, Spygate was all of ESPN, Fox Sports, and any sports medai outlet was talking about.

There are some players that could prove a ton of upside and are draftable in the late rounds.

Antonio Pittman

Antonio has the potential to be a Kenny Watson type player this year in fantasy maybe even more. He is the back up to Stephen Jackson who has still not reported to camp because of contract negotiations. Also he missed a good chunk of last season due to injuries. Pittman could step in and play well. if he gets an opportunity look for him to take advantage.

Tight Ends

There is a laundry list of names that have the potential to be break out tight ends this year. The most common names are Mercedes Lewis in Jacksonville who had a solid rookie campaign, all the tools, and has looked great so far this preseason. Kevin Boss has also been impressive since stepping in for Jeremy

Shockey last season with the Giants. After trading Shockey this offseason, Boss is the starter and could be a value with the giants. Zach Miller and Dustin Keller are two players that have potential to be solid players much like Heath Miller and Todd Heap. Keller has been very impressive and is only helped by the addition of Favre. If JaMarcus Russell plays well then Miller could have a big season with a ton of red zone potential.

DJ Hackett

If Jake Delhomme can return to form Hackett has the potential to break out and be a solid third wide receiver. He could and probably will start opposite Steve Smith. Smith should take a lot of attention leaving Hackett with one-on-one coverage only helping his status. Something like 700 yards and 6 touchdowns is not out of the question, which is good for a third receiver in fantasy.

Chris Redman

Assuming Redman is the starter in Atlanta he could be a viable fantasy quarterback. He was a top 4 quarterback over the last 5 weeks. Only three quarterbacks threw more touchdowns than Redman. The Falcons will need to throw when they get down on the scoreboard and Redman will be chucking. This is why people need to also keep an eye on Roddy White this season.

Troy Smith

He will start for the Ravens and he knows how to win. He will get rushing yards and touchdowns which only boosts his value. Also Todd Heap will be back and help troy smith’s value.

Ricky Williams

Ronnie Brown is an injury waiting to happen and is returning from a torn achiles. These two things plus a focused Ricky Williams that has looked good in the preseason could lead to a good season.

Tavaris Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, and Jason Campbell

Not only will these three guys be fantasy starters by the end of the season but they will also have better seasons than Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Delhomme who are both drafted in every league.

Never draft teammates at the same position

With combinations like Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh or Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin it isvery tempting to take both players during a draft especially when they are the best players on the board. However this can lead to serious issues down the road. The biggest problem occurs when that team enters its bye week. You now have to replace to studs and the chance of getting the points are very small. Also if the Injury bug hits their quarterback their production will diminish also.
Running backs are safer to have from one team. In most cases they are both no high draft picks and you have one as a handcuff incase the other gets hurt. Such is true for teams that have Marion barber and Felix Jones or Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor.

(images courtesy Getty images/AP Photo)

Avoid time splits

A team that has two or three running backs that could be tempting are situations to be avoided. Places like Seattle where Maurice Morris and Julius Jones look to share the load causes only problems. You will be forced to start one and hope that the player you started gets the carries and scores the touchdown. Also a situation like Cincinnati may look like a place where Rudi Johnson is the guy and maybe shares some time with Kenny Watson can and will be a time share. Also Chris Perry looks to be back in top form and should see a majority of the snaps on third down. The only way I draft a player in situations like these is if I can get them late in the draft and let them sit on my bench until a bye week or one player steps up and becomes the guy. Even then there are some other players with upside you can grab at the same time I’d rather have.

The Brett Favre saga is finally over. Less than 24 hrs after leaving Green Bay, heading home to Mississippi, the Packers made Farves wishes come to fruition by trading the future Hall of Fame quarterback to the New York Jets. The deal made late last night is for an yet to be disclosed pick. This deal gives Farve his way out of Green Bay and gives the Jets a solid starting qb. They will be an improvement an last years 5-11 mark, but in a very tough AFC it will be hard for the jets to make the wild card much less beat out the patriots for the division. It will be very interesting to see how Favre plays with the jets. After joining a list of Hall of Famers to finish out a career with a different team after many seasons with another, I’m curious to see if it’s like joe Montana in Kansas City or more of Namath with the rams or Unitas with the chargers.

Sleepers

Denver’s Ground Game

Every year they have some running back that is productive and gives fantasy owners a nice boost. This year the talk surrounds Selvin Young who had a nice rookie campaign and only looks to improve on last season. However, Ryan Torain could have a fantasy impact assuming he is fully healthy. The Broncos consistently make an unknown back into a legitimate performer.

Alge Crumpler

Alge will make his way back into the elite tight end group. He is again paired with a mobile qb where Alge saw his biggest successes. Vince Young will take full advantage of Alge, especially with their lack of talent in the receiving core.

Kevin Curtis

Kevin Curtis put up solid numbers last year in Philidelphia with McNabb hurt for a good portion of the season. A healthy McNabb and Brain Westbrook taking pressure of the passing game will help Curtis be a breakout player this year.

Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers

Vincent Jackson became a go to guy and touchdown machine in the playoffs for the chargers last season. The Addition of Chris Chambers also opened up oppertunties for Jackson and gave Phillip Rivers another target. They should both be very effective fantasy options and should help Rivers have a breakout season as well. Without Michael Turner the Chargers will throw more to spell LT.

Busts

Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis

These two guys have a ton of talent and should be fantasy studs year in and year out, however their always seems to be some issue that derails their season. They both play in passing deficient offenses. Also they are injury prone and losing a 1st round pick can significantly hurt your season.

Eli Manning

After the playoffs where Eli played really well, stock is way up on him, However Eli will revert back to his old self. The loss of Jeremy Shockey will hurt and the pressure of being the reigning champs will also bring a lot of pressure. This will cause Eli to be erratic and make throws he shouldn’t make.

Steve Smith

The Carolina offense has gotten significantly worse over the past couple seasons. Jake Delhomme has not played even close to the level seen in the super bowl run. This coupled with the addition of Jonathan Stewart to add to the ground game should take opportunity away from Smith. Smith still has no receiver to line up opposite him, thus he sees constant double team pressure. His latest tirade only worsens the issue. He will be missing two games for hitting his teammate.

The trade deadline proves to bring more thunder. Another all-star changed teams as the trade deadline passed Thursday. Manny Ramirez is now a Los Angeles Dodger, after much talk and complaining on Manny’s part, the Red Sox made his wishes come to fruition. As this deal happened the Pirates joined the party to make the trade work. The Pirates sent Jason Bay to Boston and the Pirates got prospects in return, including touted prospect Andy Laroche who joins his brother Adam in Pittsburgh.

In another move that shocked everyone Ken Griffey Jr. was traded to the White Sox forNick Masset infielder Danny Richar. The move will allow Nick Swisher to play first base in place of Paul Konerko who was been hitting a dismal .214 since returning from the DL. During Konerkos DL stint, Swisher plauyed first and the White Sox went 13-7. The move allows Griffey to play for a team with serious title contention.

(images courtesy www.espn.com)

In a move that shocked baseball fans and media alike the Detroit Tigers sent Future first ballot Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez to the Yankees for Kyle Farnsworth who was pitching well of late. The move was made to fill the vacancy left by Jorge Posada’s injury that sidelined him for the season. The acquisition of Farnsworth will sure up the Tigers bullpen and Farnsworth could become the closer if newly anointed closer Fernando Rodney does not produce in the roll. This move will allow Brandon Inge to return to his old position and catch full time. Inge has been playing very well and is a big part of the tigers upswing after a terrible start. This is the latest trade in one of the biggest trading deadlines in recent history and i don’t foresee the trade barrage slowing down until the deadline passes

(images courtesy www.espn.com)

1. LaDainian Tomlinson

Lt is all sorts of fantasy goodness. He is the undisputed choice for the number one pick. He is the only player who can get you a touchdown rushing, receiving, and passing. You can’t truly appreciate his greatness until you own him.

2. Adrian Peterson

AP came out of nowhere to be a top 5 fantasy player last season. He literally ran his way into the hearts of fantasy owners who were stoked with 200 yard games, multi-touchdown gems and consistent goodness all season. He will continue to impress this season as the Vikings are competing all season to win the NFC North.

3. Stephen Jackson

Steven Jackson has all the talent to be a top 3 running back. He combines both speed and power to create a dynamic running attack for the Rams. He does have a couple questions for the upcoming season. He has had issue with injuries which would seriously hurt his fantasy value. He also has yet to report to camp and this could also hamper his value. All that said I think Steven Jackson returns to his 2006 status and has a tremendous season.

4. Brian Westbrook

Brian Westbrook a lot of what makes LT a fantasy stud. He has the running ability to consistently get 100 yard games and a touchdown or two. He also provides a receiving threat out of the backfield that is always wanted in a number one back. He will continue to produce to his level and owners will not be disappointed they drafted him.

5. Marion Barber

He is going to be the guy in big D this year and this means even better numbers for a pro bowler and fantasy stud that was a back up and time splitter last season. He will share some time with rookie Felix Jones which will be a good thing. It will allow Barber to stay healthy and have the energy to be an impact all season. Also the Cowboys have an excellent aerial attack that will make the opponent stay balanced and give Barber plenty of running room.

6. Terrell Owens

Speaking of the Cowboys aerial attack, T.O. is set to return to the fantasy elite this season. He will produce monster numbers in one of the best offenses in football. He could be the Randy Moss of last season. Tony Romo will take another step forward and only improve a very good Cowboy offense. Patrick Crayton will be effective and help keep the double teams off of T.O. Jason Witten will also force the defense to single cover Owens and keep the defense honest.

7. Randy Moss

Randy Moss will provide monster numbers once again this season. The departure of Donte Stallworth will give Moss that much more opportunity, especially in the redzone. The Patriots will run more than last season which will bring his numbers down but will force the defense to stay honest and give Randy a ton of opportunities.

8. Joseph Addai

Joseph Addai has been a really good fantasy player since the Colts drafted him. He provides a great mix to Peyton Manning and the Colts passing attack. The Colts have a great offensive line that will open holes and create running room for Addai to run through. Something like 1200 yards and double digit touchdowns should be where Addai finishes. The only concern is injury for Addai. But the return of Dominic Rhodes and last years back up Kenton Keith able to provide a change of pace Addai should be a stud all season.

9. Tom Brady

Tom Brady was in the top 3 if not the best fantasy player last season. His consistent 300-500 yard passing game with multiple touchdowns kept teams winning for many weeks. He was a stud and did not disappoint anyone. He played all season while going for the perfect season keeping his numbers going through the playoffs and almost single handedly carried teams. He will once again be a stud this season. The patriots will be running more and the likelihood of another perfect season seems almost impossible which will lead to less need late in the season as the Pats prepare for another super bowl run. He will be good and be very helpful to whatever team drafts him.

10. Marshawn Lynch

if not for Adrian Peterson’s monster season last year, everyone would be talking about the fantasy rookie of the year as well as the NFL rookie of the year being Marshawn Lynch. I was able to get him late in my draft and had him sit on my bench. He was the nicest surprise for my season. He was able to step in when my first pick Steven Jackson went down with an injury. He continued to produce awesome numbers all season and was a huge boost to my team. He should be awesome on a weekly basis this season.