Week four is upon us. Most FFB leagues have already separated the contenders from the bottom feeders. That dynamic has shaken out in my league. Astonishingly, 169 FFB points now separate first place from our cellar dweller in only three weeks. Many coaches have already hit the panic button. 2007 studs like WR Randy Moss, Braylon Edwards, Carson Palmer, Chad Ocho Cinco have all ‘cinco’d’ to fire sale status. Some teams need a drastic overhaul, like Wall Street. At least when you are winning, like my 3-0 squad is doing, it somewhat soothes the grave national economic issues that keep coming at us. I guess that’s why we all endure this game. The escape.
2008 will be considered the year of the later-round QB gem! QB’s Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Matt Hasselbeck, Jon Kitna, Ben Rothlisberger, Derek Anderson, Jake Delhomme, Vince Young, $60 million bench warmer Marc Bulger, and David Garrard, may have already blown it for their ill-fated owners. Those QB’s were all drafted ahead of mid- to- late round finds Jay Cutler, Aaron Rogers, Philip Rivers, and old man Kurt Warner. I happen to have those aforementioned last two on my team, and loving every Sunday so far. Even Peyton Manning has not lived up to his first round status. Manning was never on the roster of our league winner, in a decade. Amazing, but true.. Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, and Drew Brees are the only QB’s left that are performing to their selection. Those late round QB’s are defining the haves and the have not’s in a hurry. Those who grabbed these late-round gems have much more team balance. It shows up every week.
If you read my very first blog, I mentioned the two vital and crucial elements to capturing your league trophy. 1) You must work diligently and relentlessly just to get to 2) BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEPING LUCK!). It is the one constant in FFB. Although, in most leagues, there is always dead money no matter what.
This week, there seems to be more help on the waiver wire than last. Tampa Bay’s Brian Griese fired up 67 passes last week for 407 yards. Griese gets the Green Bay Packers this week at home. Baywatch WR’s Antonio Bryant and Ike Hilliard should fly under some of those Griese bombs. Toss Bucs TE Jerramy Stevens into that mix, having grabbed 5 passes for 51 yards and a TD last week. That’s a solid haul for a TE this year. Remember, not so long ago, when tight ends really mattered?
Rams new QB Trent Green is a warm body for a bye week, but that ailing Rams offense is a sloppy mess. Look for Buffalo’s WR James Hardy to grab some action vs. those downtrodden Lambs. Buffalo and Trent Edwards should roll the Rams.
Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter will fill in nicely for a RB-challenged roster. He’ll play a bigger role vs. the Bears with Brian Westbrook nicked up. Think about Cleveland QB Brady Quinn as a slick pick-up. Derek Anderson looks like a deer in the headlights, after signing that huge contract. Besides, we’re needing a new Brady to represent in the NFL.. San Francisco’s QB J.T. O’Sullivan was picked up last week in our league, but he may be available in yours. It should be a shoot out in New Orleans. The Saints are wiped out on defense.
Good luck to all of you in your battles this weekend. Who knows what Monday may bring? In more ways than one. Our transactions may free-fall to a nickel next week.

Recently, ESPN’S ’Outside The Lines’ contacted a man named ’Pops” Bundy from Fargo, North Dakota. Bundy is 98 years young, and claims to have actually played FFB during the last Great Depression.
“Sure we played FFB, Bundy told ESPN. What else was there to do?. There was no television, no computers, no alcohol, no speakeasy’s, we couldn’t afford a fishing rod, Charlie Chaplin movies sucked. We peddled apples all week on the streets just to defray our 3-cent transactions. In the Great Depression we had to walk 8 miles, uphill both ways, to our Commish's tenement, just to give him our waivers and transactions. Sometimes, barefoot in the snow.
I remember we had this one team who never stopped griping about the harsh times. You can't ever get that stuff out of your head. 1929 was a good year in FFB for ’Pops’ Bundy, though. We stole RB Red Grange in the first round that year, and our 12-0 Green Bay Packers hook-up of QB Red Dunn and WR Verne Lewellen was virtually unstoppable. Our Frankford Yellow Jackets Defense was legit until financial hardships ended their season early.
But, we did ok with our Staten Island Stapletons defense/special teams pick-up after sloshing 16 miles in a Nor’easter to get them. I could have really used a rain coat that day. My FFB team was loaded. I had Pop Warner, Paddy Driscoll, Mule Wilson, Tillie Voss, Two-Bits Holman, Spin Roy, Earpe Blood, Gibby Welch, Patsy Giugliano, and an upstart rookie TE named Sarra Paylin. I battled a team named Grips of Despair, I recall. I blew by Despair when he had 5 Dayton Triangles out on a bye week, and I never looked back .
Our league was called Twelve Angry Men. It’s still called that today. The Twelve Angry Men trophy was made of cardboard. It’s all we could afford. The trophy got pretty nasty though, after 1931 winner Joe Rockbottom Heads, imbibing in some bootleg champagne, urinated in it. Rockbottom Heads had simply had enough of the Great Depression. He always wondered what was so great about it.
But, we all survived the last Great Depression, much of it thanks to our ability to escape into FFB. We just tried to shrug off the issues and have some fun. I swear I reckon my 1929 squad could put a lickin’ on the this 3-0 team I own this year. It would be close!
Those guys never had agents, they didn’t believe in bail outs…That Sarra Paylin was a great pick!”

I have to tell you all about my day. My appointment with my bank this afternoon went very badly. I tried to get a loan for my waiver transaction this week( $3) plus another loan for a pair of these stylish, new Sarah Palin eyeglasses that all the women are just crazy about ($2.99). I figured it would be a breeze, right? The loan department laughed at me. They said my $5.99 liquid request was over and above the new, tight federal guidelines. The bank said they would need my FFB team as collateral. They wanted me to prove I could pay them back. WHAAAAH? This was all new to me. Seriously, you actually have to pay them back?? For REAL?? They told me credit comes from the latin word 'credito', which means pay back. Surely they were kidding me right? 'Credito'? The bank was telling me about 'naked short selling abuses' that were closing in on them. I swear, I don't even know what that means...Are there actually naked brokers out there on Wall Street short selling without impunity? OH! BEHAVE!!
It's Saturday night now, I'm still not sure how I'm ever going to make a waiver move. The good thing is that it's all done electronically, so I won't even ever need to be responsible for paying off my $3 fee until next year's draft. I think I could actually pull this off. I could just go away after this season and never pay my debt ever. I could get a federal bail out. I could just declare waiver wire forclosure. That would really be smart, plus it's so trendy these days...

Just like my new, gorgeous Sarah Palin spectacles...($2.99)

Week one in the NFL sure raised some eyebrows. Nationwide suicide pools shook off losers in bunches. Like rotten grapes. If New England had gone down, suicide pools would be close to a winner. Losses to San Diego and Indy cost many a ‘wise' suicide dreamer. Gotta love all the drama! It’s just getting started! FFB is America’s best pure reality game. Patriots QB Tom Brady’s misfortune will go down as the worst FFB injury ever in week #1...POOF! 50 TDS with only 8 interceptions, gone in the first week. What will this second week bring? Hurricane Ike, sadly, will impact so many games, and too many lives. I have red thunderstorm warnings next to my whole lineup. Here is a look this week around the NFL.

Chicago at. Carolina…The Bears D laid the wood on Indy’s Joseph Addai last week, knocking him down to third tier RB status. That trend will not serve Carolina’s running back by committee well. Bears rookie Matt Forte looked like Cedric Benson’s worst nightmare. Forte is legit! Carolina gave up 2 passing TD‘s to San Diego‘s Philip Rivers last week, their fourth straight game surrendering at least two through the air. That could bring QB Kyle Orton into play if you’re desperate for a QB. And some of you are. Carolina’s QB Jake Delhomme will keep shaking off the cobwebs, especially when WR Steve Smith returns next week. He will continue to justify your selection of him. Panthers TE Dante Rosario outplayed his counterpart Antonio Gates with 7 catches for 96 yards and the game-winning TD. That’s a TE worth acquiring, but he’s questionable this week. Outside of the defenses and Matt Forte, there’s not much FFB value here. But, Carolina’s WR Muhsin Muhammed could have one huge game before Steve Smith returns. He’d like some revenge against the Bears.


Tennessee at Cincy…...Those of you who picked QB Carson Palmer as a top five QB, please form a well-behaved double line for some FFB therapy. Palmer had a dismal 35. game one passer rating, plus an interception. It could actually get worse this week. Vince Young got the headlines, but did anyone notice the Titans defense last Sunday? How about 7 sacks, 2 INT’s and a fumble recovery vs. a good Jaguars team. Will any other team hold RB’s Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and QB David Garrard to a combined 33 yards on the ground.? The Jags had the second best rushing offense in the league last year! That breaks down to 8.25 yards per quarter! I didn’t draft any Bengals. The stench of their pre-season was overwhelming. But, I smiled inside when they were taken off the board early. The Bengals offense, once a darling of FFB, now face a defense more formidable than last week’s Ravens. Forget about them! There’s been enough chatter about Titans QB Vince Young, so I won’t beat a dead QB, except to make one comment. Have we finally come to a place in this gadget age, that if you go out without your cell phone, it’s considered abnormal behavior?. It warrants the police? Pick up QB Kerry Collins off the waiver wire if you are thin at that position. TE Bo Scaife was more of a Vince Young favorite target, 6 catches for 105 last week. And WR Matt Jones, separated from his white powder, is now actually getting some separation in the field. I guess he wants a better appearance in court. Titans rookie RB Chris Johnson rewarded his mid-draft faithful with a sign of things to come. A solid 15 carries, 93 yards and a TD. He suffered some cramping late in the game, but should be eager to go against the Bungles.

Green Bay at Detroit…..Detroit will be much like the Bengals in wins and losses, but they do have FFB impact. Lions QB Jon Kitna always pads his passing stats in second half comeback efforts. He has built a career out of just that. And he has the WR’s to accomplish it in Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. Routinely, the Lions must abandon the rushing game early on. Different year, different week, same pattern. Lions and Bengals are similar breeds. Packers QB Aaron Rogers looked solid enough Monday Night. He should carve up the Lions here. RB Ryan Grant is struggling with his wheels, so that doesn’t bode well for his faithful again this week. But,then again, Atlanta’s Michael Turner laid out the Lionesses for 220 yards on 20 carries, with 2 TD’s. Most of that in the first quarter last week. Packers WR Greg Jennings scored twice vs. the Lions last year. Start him here.


Buffalo at Jacksonville…...Intriguing match-up here. The Jags got stuffed by Tennessee week one. And the Bills took Seattle’s game away early in their skirmish . RB Marshawn Lynch is always in play. He’ll have a better game here. The feeling here is that Trent Edwards will continue to progress as well. WR Lee Evans stretched the field solidly in week one. TE Robert Royal isn’t Eddie Royal, but he’s not a bad pick up...6 catches, 52 yards and a TD. He also had a solid pre-season. Buffalo’s defense won’t hurt you either. Jags QB David Garrard was sacked 7 times last week. The Bills laid 5 sacks on Seattle. I see a low scoring affair here.


Oakland at Kansas City…...The Raider nation's new era begins! QB JaMarcus Russell and RB Darren McFadden made their debut Monday Night. It wasn’t real pretty. Denver handed Oakland their helmets until the Broncos called off the dogs late in that game. Raider nation is a dismal 19-62 since 2004. McFadden was picked first among rookie RB’s in our draft, but he didn’t reward his owners like some lower-drafted rookies did. I looked for more speed to the outside. JaMarcus Russell got tougher as the game progressed, Can Chief’s RB Larry Johnson ever regain that magic he had before 2007? He’s a weekly start, and should find the end zone for his eighth straight game against the Raiders. Outside of Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson, a lot of benchwarmers here.




Indianapolis at Minnesota…...Colts QB Peyton Manning shook off some serious rust in the second half Sunday Night, but he couldn’t shake off the Bears. Can you say (0-2) boys and girls? Despite Manning’s overall FFB good performance, it sure looked laborious. Colts TE Dallas Clark went out and may not return this week. RB Joseph Addai got his bell rung. And, now they face Minnesota’s vaunted rush defense on the road. Did anyone notice that the Colts picked up RB Justin Forsett from the waiver wire? He was released by Oakland after a terrific pre-season. Keep him on your radar screen. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne are starts this week, obviously. On the Vikings side, their offense looked sluggish vs. New England. It should be better with home cooking, but RB Adrian Peterson is really the only FFB play.

New York Giants at St. Louis….Glance upward to my Bengals assessment, then copy and paste. Bench all Rams, including the coach. RB Steven Jackson the only exception. The Giants will load the box and force Bulger to pass. To who? Torry Holt only had one catch vs. the Eagles. Look for a heavy dose of Giants RB Brandon Jacobs and WR Plaxico Burress. Burress should add a TD or two to his exemplary receiving numbers week one. The Rams surrendered 412 yards to the Eagles last week.

New Orleans at Washington…....Drew Brees must find a new WR to replace Marques Colston’s 4- 6 week hiatus. That is a tough assignment. WR Robert Meacham, who was benched by a coach’s decision should get that nod. Brees has a way of making any WR look good. I hope so because I have Meacham on my FFB squad. RB Reggie Bush was great! I got that wrong week one. But RB Pierre Thomas stole a nice mix of plays. Deuce McCallister participated fully in practice this week, so Pierre might peter out. TE Jeremy Shockey was fully involved with 6 catches for 54 yards. Brees is serving notice that he’ll go to the top of this year’s QB class. He went very early in our draft, and rewarded his proud owner with a much better debut than in 2007. The Redskins laid an egg vs. the Giants last week, spoiling the debut of coach Jim Zorn. I’m not sure Zorn ever had a day like QB Jesse Campbell in his entire Seahawk career. RB Clinton Portis needs a better game, but might lose some carries in the second half. WR Antwaan Randle El might be worth a waiver flyer. He chipped in with 7 catches and 73 yards . Washington should be airing it out after half time. Seven Saints are out for the game, though.


San Francisco at Seattle…….WANTED: fast, dependable pass receivers…must be able to elude defenders, matriculate down the field and catch a football. Iron skillet hands need not apply. Please submit your application to the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49’ers front offices. Seattle has virtually no FFB value soon. They have no receivers, which means a dramatic drop-off for QB Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck was hassled all last week by the Bills, sacked 5 times. Julius Jones should do better this week, as Maurice Morris is out.. Seattle’s number one option WR Courtney Taylor last week, was targeted 9 times, dropping 2 passes and catching only two. Ditto for the 49’ers. Only Frisco’s RB Frank Gore can chew up some FFB points in this contest.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay….The new look Falcons busted out of the gate like a playoff team, under their new head coach. But, then again, it was the Detroit Lions. RB Michael ’The Burner” Turner rewarded Falcons brass faith in him by having a record all-time franchise game. I was a beneficiary of that, having grabbed Turner in the fourth round. He could be a treat all year for those who didn’t dismiss the Falcons at the draft . Turner has now averaged almost 10 yards per carry throughout the preseason and opening day. He’ll be a factor here as well. Even RB Jerious Norwood had some fun vs. the Lions silly ’D’. QB Matt Ryan looked like a seasoned pro. With that probable running attack, the Falcons WR’s should find some space as the year unfolds. But, Atlanta’s WR Roddy White has never scored a TD in 6 games vs. Tampa Bay. He’s an unwise play. Yet, if Drew Brees could lay 343 yards on Tampa Bay’s secondary, anything is possible for the talented Matt Ryan. The mood is upbeat in Atlanta, to say the least. Bucs QB Brian Griese gets the nod for the injured Jeff Garcia. RB Earnest Graham is always a steady FFB fit, but Warrick Dunn stole some carries from Graham last week. Will it be WR Joey Galloway or Antonio Bryant at the end of Griese’s passes?


Miami at Arizona...Will Hurricane Ike get to Arizona? NAH! Miami will bring the Florida sun and TE Anthony Fasano. Undrafted in our league, Fasano was QB Chad Pennington’s favorite target last week, catching 8 balls for 84 yards and a TD. Antonio Gates -like numbers. Pennington’s arm can actually reach a tight end. Arizona’s defense limited San Francisco last week to 13 points. The Dolphins are in trouble here. Cardinal QB Kurt Warner managed a steady opening game, handing off 26 times to RB Edgerrin James. Warner has averaged 315 yds/ game in his last 5 home starts. Looks like bright skies ahead for WR’s Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Miami’s RB’s Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 46 yards rushing vs. the Jets last week. Pennington will have to air it out more in this one. Not much to recommend on Miami’s side other than a repeat by Fasano.


San Diego at Denver…... Second-round draft pick WR Eddie Royal’s spectacular debut on Monday Night was as historical as Denver’s Convention. Is he Eagles WR DeSean Jackson’s twin brother separated at birth? He was unstoppable. Nine catches for 146 yards and a TD. The Broncos needed no running game. Both QB’s Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers will be solid FFB plays in this game. They both have great weapons and good protection. Rivers finds WR’s Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson in a balanced attack. Ladanian Tomlinson has returned to earth, though. His TD’s dropped significantly in 2007. He didn’t score week one. LT may no longer be the best FFB back in the NFL, and there are real concerns with his sprained right toe. FFB owners can no longer just ‘set it and forget it’ with LT. RB Jacob Hester might get some carries Sunday. TE Antonio Gates always rewards his owners , but he hurt his hip along with the chronic bad toe.


New England at NY Jets…..The 2008 Matt Cassel era begins for the Patriots. FFB message boards were flooded with barbs directed to Tom Brady owners. This will impact all of the FFB . Cassel only threw one pass to Moss, and that wasn’t caught. Wesley Welker had 5 throws from Cassel. Is it time to trade Randy Moss? The feeling here will be an increased emphasis on the Patriot ground game. Laurence Maroney will see more touches, as will Sammy Morris. The Patriots had solid balance last year, but Brady’s success through the air diminished much need for a running game. Look for that to change in a hurry. Cassel was just picked up in our league, but he’ll have a tall order to fill vs. the Jets. WR Randy Moss is nicked, as is the Patriot psyche. Jets QB Brett Favre, Jerricho Cotchery, and Thomas Jones will have decent games, but nothing spectacular vs. the Pats Defense.


Pittsburgh at Cleveland…..RB Jamal Lewis struggled last week with the Cowboys and his hamstring. He only managed 35 yards vs. the Steelers last year, so bench him again. WR Donte’ Stallworth just eyeballs his legs and they cramp up. He hasn’t been a factor since 2005. Pittsburgh’s defense will be the hero here. They looked locked and loaded on opening day. Ben Roethlisberger is dinged up, but RB Willie Parker is there to soothe all of that. He rewarded his owners last week with his best FFB game ever with 3TD’s. That’s a full TD more than he managed ALL last year. The Steelers defense will bring the wood like Dallas did last week. They are tougher than a Waffle House pork chop. TE Kellon Winslow is a no-brainer. Braylon Edwards is too talented to lay consecutive eggs. Big WR Andre Johnson caught 10 balls vs. Pittsburgh, so Edwards will have a chance. . WR Hines Ward surprised last week, burning Santonio Holmes owners. It should be good for both of them Sunday night in Cleveland.


Eagles at Dallas, Monday Night…...Are you ready for some football? Wow! Dallas is a touchdown favorite in this great match-up. The Eagles picked apart lowly St. Louis last week The first time since Tommy McDonald, Pete Retzlaff, and Timmy Brown that three Eagles WR’s had over 100 yards. That lightening can’t strike twice, but Donovan McNabb looks happy and primed to give it a shot. Rookie WR DeSean Jackson is the key. His rapid rise to prominence will continue. Dallas is too talented All key skill positions should be in play here. But, I can see a couple of picks for Tony Romo. And what if Jessica Simpson shows up? She’s already on record as stating her beau will “ kick the Eagles asses”. The Eagles defense might not get to Romo, but the secondary will. Not many surprises in this rivalry. Start all your studs! Brian Westbrook, of course. Hank Baskett went real early off our waiver wire this week. Could that owner have been a ‘homer’?



Baltimore at Houston…..I won’t say ’Houston, we have a problem’. But, we do. What will be of Houston and Texas ? This game is postponed until Nov. 9th. I don’t even want to comment any further. FFB battles take a real back seat to these devastating battles with Mother Nature..

How quickly the tides of fortune can change from week to week in fantasy football. That’s what makes it fun, and why there is a waiver wire. Tom Brady could be the worst opening day loss in FFB history. WR Marques Colston hurts as well. If you drafted RB Michael Turner, or even WR Eddie Royal, you are smiling all week. But, come Sunday, fate could demote them to Marques Colston status, or worse, Tom Brady status. Or, maybe even Vince Young status. Nobody said FFB was fair.
Our league, though, has a ‘fair and balanced ‘ ladder waiver system. Transactions go in order. You cannot just willy-nilly grab a player off the waiver wire by being the ‘geekiest’ nerd on your computer. That is silly. You are randomly assigned a transaction position order week #1. To make a transaction pick, we email our Commish with our preferences, and by Saturday he assigns the players in the order of our rung on the ladder system. If several owners desire the same player, which is always the case, it goes to the owner highest on the ladder. Once you are assigned a player, you then go to the bottom of the ladder.
If you don’t make a pick, you rise up the ladder until you want to pick a player. There is clever strategy involved. I think it wins championships. We had an owner last year who threw in the towel early. He remained at the top of the ladder all year, never making a transaction. Transactions in our league cost $3, increasing the booty for the eventual winners.

Week 1 brought some surprises and some heartaches. That menu is offered up every week in the NFL. Same menu, different week. Often, with no dessert. Just ask the San Diego Chargers, the Indianapolis Colts, or the New England Patriots.

Here we go…the 2008 FFB season is kicking off…I will provide you with some gems that will hopefully get the edge on your adversary each week…Let’s get started.

Seattle at. Buffalo…The sneaky Bills pass defense only allowed 7/10 of a TD per game in 2007, if you dismiss the two Patriots games. Bench the entire Seattle QB/WR corps…Maurice Morris is slated to start at RB for Seattle. The Seahawks are 5-0 the last 5 times Morris has started.. But Julius Jones will take over. Marshawn Lynch is the only FFB play for Buffalo’s offense.

Houston at Pittsburgh…Matt Schaub had a 113 QB rating in pre-season…light’s out! WR Andre Johnson is in play…QB Ben Rothlisberger fired up 32 TD’s in 2007. He will face a shabby Houston pass defense…Start Big Ben! Frisky Willie Parker will start off hot…He always does . Santonio Holmes should be in play as well.

Cincy at Baltimore…Ocho Cinco will need to focus more on his torn labron than his torn Chad Johnson jersey. Not good vibes for any Cincy FFB players. RB Chris Perry has an upside, but a track record of injuries. RB Ray Rice is the only play here…If McGahee can’t go, Rice could continue his 5.6 yards/ per carry pre-season. Even if McGahee plays, Rice should get the bulk of the carries. TE Todd Heap needs to be on the scrap heap.

Detroit at Atlanta….Look for big games from WR Roddy White, ( good pre-season chemistry with QB Matt Ryan) , RB.Michael Turner (9.3 yards/carry in the pre-season), John Kitna, Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams…This should be a shoot out in the Georgia Dome…The Falcons quit last year, along with their coach. It will be different now.

St. Louis at Eagles…The field will be soupy after all the rain…. That bodes well for your Eagles D. For sure, Brian Westbrook. On a compromised grass gridiron, Eagles rookie WR DeShawn Jackson’s ‘quicks’ might have a field day…Only one team allowed fewer TD passes than the Birds (16) last year…Forget Marc Bulger and the Rams passing attack…You picked Steven Jackson to play him..

Kansas City at New England…Start all Patriots, except for TE Ben Watson who is out…The Patriots only allowed 7 Rush TD’s all last year.. Not good for Larry Johnson and company. Minor ups for TE Tony Gonzalez. The Chiefs will be airing it out in the second half.

Tampa Bay at New Orleans…TE Shockey is in the twilight zone. He broke his fibula last year and missed the entire pre-season. He will play, but I don't expect much. Drew Brees will be Drew Brees. The Saints must overcome another bad hurricane. It will be Reggie Bush’s third term. Bench him. Colston for sure, maybe WR Robert Meacham. The Saints are not known for pass defense, so Jeff Garcia to Joey Galloway should work. RB Earnest Graham will continue his surprising 2007 form.

Jets at Miami…Brett Favre loves to throw to tight ends, but the Jets have 3 of them Baker, Keller, and Franks. Laveranues Coles is hurt, but will play. Look for solid FFB points from RB’s Thomas Jones and Ricky Williams. Not much more to recommend here.

Jacksonville at Tennessee…Running back by committee for The Titans and the Jags. Vince Young wanted to retire. Plus, Jacksonville’s Defense can really bring it. Jaguar’s QB David Gerrard always gets the job done, but his receivers are nicked up. Not a good match-up for FFB points, except the Jags defense.

Dallas at Cleveland….Jamal Lewis is a 4PM game time decision vs. a stingy Cowboys rush defense. Bench him. Cleveland only allowed 3 rushing TD’s in their last 10 games in 2007. If that trend continues in 2008, Marion Barber will have to earn his points. Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, Jason Witten will go off! Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow will be the focus in the 2nd half.

Carolina at San Diego…Panthers pass defense allowed 2 TD’s per game the last 3 games of 2007. That should put QB Philip Rivers in play. WR Chris Chambers put up big FFB numbers when TE Antonio Gates was hurt at the end of 2007. Gates is still a mystery , so Chambers will be a good fit here. LT is LT. On The Carolina side, RB’s Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams will share the carries. No real FFB value there, especially vs. the Chargers D.

Arizina at San Francisco….The last time the Cardinals faced the 49’ers, QB Kurt Warner laid 484 passing yards on San Francisco, with 2TDS. Larry Fitzgerald had 156 of those yards. Warner is a stud here, as will be Fitzgerald and Boldin. RB Frank Gore is a must, but not much else to recommend from the 49’ers side.

Chicago at Indianapolis…The Colts have a good enough rush defense to stop Matt Forte or Kevin Jones. QB Peyton Manning will miss his injured regular center, and will need to shake off some rust. Marvin Harrison will have to convince owners that he has something left in his tank. Reggie Wayne , Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark should all be in your FFB mix.

Minnesota at Green Bay….Interesting opening Monday Night match-up. Why can’t there always be 2 games on Monday Night? Adrian Peterson will be a stud.. Green Bay has an issue at RB. Look for RB Brandon Jackson to carry the ball over Ryan Grant. He wasn’t drafted in our league. TE Donald Lee and WR Donald Driver will be a factor.

Denver at Oakland….RB Darren McFadden was kept under wraps in the pre-season. He never ran outside of the tackles. That will all change here. He will run outside early and often. JaMarcus Russell will rely on it! Oakland’s rush defense is horrible, so look for much of the same from Denver’s Selvin Young. Rookie WR Eddie Royal is one to watch for Denver.

Are you READY for some FOOTBALL??

Ok, folks, here’s my team in our 12 man Points Per Reception League. With the 5th pick I surprised the league by selecting Buffalo’s RB Marshawn Lynch. Bills brass and QB Trent Edwards intend to significantly increase Lynch’s touches this year. Perhaps as many as ten more per game. That elevated him, in my thought, above the RB’s taken shortly after, Joseph Addai, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Larry Johnson, and Ryan Grant. Clinton Portis tallied a paltry 8 FFB points Thursday night vs. NY. I look for that trend to continue with Washington’s sluggish offense under reluctant new coach Jim Zorn.
I could have taken Addai, but Marshawn will be Buffalo’s main weapon. Addai must compete with many other weapons, and a far more ambitious schedule vs. the run. Lynch will face an easier plate of run defenses.
In round 2 I took the best WR still available, Houston’s Andre Johnson. I hope he can stay healthy. RB Jamal Lewis was a pleasant surprise, falling to me in round 3. I really coveted Falcon’s new RB Michael “the burner” Turner. I jumped on him with a warm and fuzzy grin on my face in round 4. No worries about a QB yet.
Round’s 5 and 6 landed me Atlanta’s Roddy White, another receiver I wanted , and reliable Chief TE Tony Gonzalez. So far, so good.. I was looking at Baltimore’s RB Ray Rice in Round #7, but I went with San Diego WR Chris Chambers, hoping Rice would slide a round. He did.. I happily added him to my roster in Round 8.
In Round 9, I handcuffed QB Philip Rivers to Chris Chambers. Satisfied with my RB‘s, I selected receivers in rounds 10 and 11. I got two with huge upsides, Saints WR Robert Meacham, and Eagles starting WR DeSean Jackson. I just might be starting Jackson this Sunday if the field is playable.
With most top defenses gone by round 12, I landed the Birds D. I’m Ok with that. They have an upside. Round 13 brought the most heckling of the draft, when I picked WR Courtney Taylor of the Seahawks. With all the injuries to Seahawks WR’s, Courtney was projected as a starter. I was right. My sports psychologist helped me through the abuse. I’m glad he was there. With round 14, I grabbed the QB I had coveted all along, Arizona’s Kurt Warner. Matt Leinart had been taken in the 10th round. I was fearful that Leinart’s proud owner would handcuff Warner at the end of the draft, so I stole him at #14.. The last 2 picks rounded off my team with Eagles kicker David Akers and Buffalo’s QB Trent Edwards. Edwards will hopefully dump off a few more passes to my first pick, Marshawn Lynch. ……Bookend Buffalo Bills….Mission Accomplished!


Our draft was over three weeks ago, so some of these players would have gone much higher if the draft was now. Especially Warner. We all had to scratch our heads and make some reaches and guesses.
My only regret was not taking the available Larry Fitzgerald when I grabbed Andre Johnson. He would have hooked up very nicely with Kurt Warner in San Francisco this Sunday. But, few regrets, otherwise. Our teams all look like winners until the play begins. Well, some of our teams. There is always some dead money in the league.
The number of dream team players that see little or no pre-season action seems to be growing each year. QB’s Peyton Manning and Tom Brady never took a pre-season snap, but they were snapped up early. Antonio Gates is in the twilight zone. Injuries are disguised by teams more and more. It really is becoming a crap shoot, no matter when you draft. Opening day will open up many eyes…..I can’t wait!