The First Ever Weekly 20

Fantasy football is a lot like poker. Given my addictive personality, my love of risks and my need to spend a lot of time doing and putting my energy into something that probably wont be paying the bills, i naturally love both of these things. The bond that these two share is far beyond risk and reward or chance, but it is the strategy, and taking advantage of other's mistakes and using them for profit, that distinguishes these two "games" from other forms of chance and lotteries. The frustrating part though, is admitting that fantasy football is, on some levels, a form of chance. You can do everything right, start the right players, find the right match ups, everything, but in reality you are still dealing with the unknown and taking an educated guess at best, and its how much better your educated guess is than your opponents that generates the winnings. In head to head leagues there are weeks where you would have beaten every single opponent other than the person who's "bye-week"-decimated receiving corp (the person usually started Jennings/Driver/Colston) who turned to super sleepers Miles Austin and Jeremy Maclin (yes, both). Avoiding situations like this is a reason a lot of people stick with roto leagues, but things like this happening are just a part of the game. The best thing to do is have a laugh, and if you have trouble laughing, watch this-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJrcQnMUfsM&feature=related .... classic

Anyway, the part i want you to take from this is that while somethings are beyond our control, there are edges to be had that will inevitably increase your profitability. I do not want to turn this week 6 preview into a basics of Fantasy Football 101, however there is one point i want to quickly highlight. Buying low and selling high. Sadly it is saturday so any list i typed up right now would probably be obsolete 24 hours from now so i will save that for tomorrow, instead i will kick off the first ever weekly 20.

Bounce Back Games-

1. Steve Smith (Car)- vs. TB- Been basically nonexistent so far. He had two huge games against tampa last year, and they are a lot worse this year, so i expect big things.

2. Steven Jackson vs Jax- Jackson is actually running well, and has been getting a lot of touches consistently, he only problem has been touchdowns, but i think that will change against this Jacksonville defense.

3. Chris Johnson vs NE- Got nothing going against the colts last weekend, not too sure why it will be different this weekend, but i am going with my gut and that is telling me that CJ will bounce back this week.

4. Greg Jennings vs Det- Jennings is fresh off the bye week and will have fun running through a soft Detroit secondary. Look for him to get back on track and have a monster rest of the year. He is too talented not to.

5. Randy Moss vs Ten-Best remedy for a week of Champ Bailey, a week of the Titans secondary. Moss will run circles around this pass defense and easily show why he is one of the best wr's in the league.

Hot Hot HOT- these players are too hot to bench right now and must be starts going into this week

6. Hassleback/ (7)Burleson/ (8) Housh vs Ari- All three had monster weeks last week and against another bottom of the barrel pass defense i expect a repeat performance.

9. Mendenhall- vs Cle- No. 32 rushing defense, meet Rashard Mendenhall. Even with Parker back and possibly starting, Mendenhall is going to get all the goal line work and if he gets anything going early i expect Tomlin to stick with the hot hand.

10. Aaron Rodgers vs Det- This kid has been on a tear as of late and i like him to keep it going in this matchup against Detroit. It seems that even when he is not throwing to Jennings he is still having fantastic games.

11. Cedric Benson vs Hou- Houston is bottom ten against the run, Benson has been pushing the rock like a Jahova's Witness pushes "The Watchtower." I like him in this matchup all day and his stock will probably be highest after this week.

Not Not NOT-

12. Deangelo Willaims vs TB- J. Stewart is back and mooching carries, it doesnt matter anyway he has been miserable so far.

13. Terrell Owens vs NYJ- TO is having a nightmare season and you add Darrelle Revis to the equation and bam, must sit.

14. Steve Slaton-vs Cin- Cincy has an above average running defense, and Houston has clearly become a passing team. In a ppr league slaton remains a start, infact in most leagues he still warrants a no. 2/ flex start. But i do not see him getting back on track as far as the ground game goes.

Iffy- these players are usually starts but you may want to consider before putting them in this week

15. Pierre Thomas- vs NYG- In his two games back he has been a monster, but he has been troubled this week with some hammy injuries, but many feel as though they were just keeping him out of practice to ensure his availability this weekend, you cannot help but wonder if he will be affected by it. If he is not affected by his hamstring, he will probably be in some way (possibly even near the goal line to the dismay of Thomas owners) affected by the return of Mike Bell, who was holding down the job the first two games of the year. I would probably lean towards sitting Thomas.

16. Sammy Morris vs Ten- In a ppr league i would still lean towards starting this guy, but in a standard league i would keep him on the bench. Even though Fred Taylor is fresh off surgery and Maroney is M.I.A. leaving Morris with the majority of the work load, no running back so far (and there has been some good ones) has dented that Tennessee run defense.

17. Ladanian Tomlinson vs Den- Tomlinson's start has been sketchy to say the least, but he is coming off a bye and has gotten some much needed r & r. Usually i would like this to be a favorable situation for LT but not against the staunch Denver D. I would veer towards sitting LT if you are deep enough.

You're getting veerrrry sleeeeepy- and heres the specialty...this weeks sleeper picks

18. Donnie Avery vs Jax (only owned in 50% of leagues)- Despite his rediculous dance at the end of last weeks game, where he shunned away a teammate to do the stanky leg by himself while his team trailed by 20 points or so at home, he still is a talented receiver. With Bulger back and his squad facing the hapless Jags pass defense, look for a burst out game for Avery, definitely scoop him if you can.

19. Dennis Northcutt - vs GB- With Megatron and Stafford out and the human throwing machine Daunte Culpepper back under center, look for Northcutt to follow up his big week last week in which he led the Lions in both targets and receptions

20. Muhsin Muhammad- vs TB- This is for the deeper 12/14 team leagues, but he could definitely have a big day against the worst passing defense in football. He will be an even bigger gem in ppr leagues as he is always more of a possession receiver than a deep threat.

21 (bonus). Washington D- vs KC - KC has had no semblance of a run game and washintons actually quite good against the pass, i like the Washington D as a pickup for owners of a bye week D.

donofdynastys@gmail.com

Detroit Crock City

I was torn between going Detroit Cry-ons or the Detroit Kittens, but i decided to go with an alternative approach. Anyway, as to their pick. Battles are won up front starting with the line, and that appears to be where one of the lion's biggest needs are (on both sides of the ball). Is anyone noticing a trend here amongst the league's bottom feeders? In the first 7 picks 4 of them will line up in the trenches. There are a few interesting choices available here, including M. Austin (UNC), C. Dunlap (UF), T. Williams (OK) and C. Black (LSU), but i think that the Lions go with the next Glen Dorsey, in fellow SEC'er Terrence Cody of Alabama. The kid is a monster that will help fill the void left by Shaun Rodgers when he was traded to the Browns two summers ago.

1. STL- Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ndamukong Suh- Nebraska

3. KC- Russell Okung- Oklahoma State

4. OAK- Taylor Mays- USC

5. CLE- Gerald McCoy- Oklahoma

6. TEN- Eric Berry- Tennessee

7. DET- Terrence Cody-DT-Alabama -6'5'' 354lbs Sr.

The Tennessee Bite-ans

Ok perhaps the biggest stretch of all the puns so far. Idk what im even going to do once i get passed the top ten picks because from there on out, they do not really warrant a name like the "Cleveland Frowns." Anyway, with the next pick in our draft, the Titans look to bolster a squad that has looked unimaginably flat and one dimensional through the first quarter of the year. The biggest hole thus far has been the lack of a pass defense. Injuries have plagued the Titans' secondary and has them ranked in the bottom 3 in YPG allowed and even when their wounds mend i do not foresee much of a turn around for this bunch. The best player available that fills this need is the safety Eric Berry, out of Tennessee. He has pro bowl talent and can line up anywhere in the secondary. It is his versatility that makes him a must pick for the Titans, as they are pretty sound at safety. The hometown kid will be a seat magnet for years to come, at first because of his familiarity, but later because of his undeniable skill. This is all assuming that the Titans are content with Vince Young and do not take a chance on either Jake Locker or Jimmy Clausen.

1. STL- *Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ndamukong Suh- Nebraska

3. KC- Russell Okung- Oklahoma State

4. OAK- Talyor Mays- USC

5. CLE- *Gerald McCoy- Oklahoma

6. TEN- *Eric Berry- S- Tennessee- 5'11'' 203lbs- Jr

Mailbag

A quick reminder to all readers to email me their fantasy football questions, including trades and WDIS (who do i starts). Also any suggestions/comments/ anyone wanting to collaborate/ anything else is also welcome.

donofdynastys@gmail.com

The Cleveland Frowns

The puns continue as we reach the midway point through the bottom 10. With some studs off the board, at number 5 the browns are on the outside looking in on some of their desired prospects. However there is still an abundance of talent left, and with a number of holes that need filling (this team is like paris hilton), finding a selection should be no big deal. The Defensive ends in Cleveland's 3-4 scheme have underperformed tremendously, and are a huge reason that the Browns are in the bottom 3 in rush ypg allowed. Gerald McCoy can play as a traditional DT in a 4-3 and as well as an end in the 3-4. He has great size, and will immediately give Shuan Rodgers some help off the line and will create some holes for Wimbley to wreak havoc in the backfield.

1. STL- *Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ndamukong Suh- Nebraska

3. KC- Russell Okung- Oklahoma State

4. OAK- Taylor Mays- USC

5. CLE- *Gerald McCoy- 6'4'' 295lbs DT- Oklahoma- Jr

No. 8 Cincinnati- 34 @ No. 21 USF- 17

The match up of Big East titans (if there is such a thing) did not quite live up to its billing on Thursday night. Despite a great first half effort, the Bulls of South Florida fell apart in the second period, and Cincinnati got a huge road win to boost its resume. It was the tale of two quarterbacks, with one being a seasoned five year veteran with high nfl aspirations (Tony Pike), the other a freshman from tallahassee, who was not even recruited by his home town noles to play qb, who has been forced into the starting line up due to injuries to their offensive leader (Matt Groethe- out for the season) (B.J. Daniels).

In the first quarter it seemed as though the freshman was the one that the twenty five NFL scouts were there to see. He looked poised in the pocket, electric on his feet, and completed some nice throws over the middle as they cut through the Bearcats D on their opening drive. Pike had a rough start, but completed 6 of 7 on a scoring drive before the half that reminded everyone of why he is considered such an elite prospect. His most memorable pass of the night was on that very drive, he thread the needle on third and long while showing a little mobility rolling to his left and hitting his man down field. Daniels seemed every bit his equal until an errant pass got picked off and returned all the way to the Bulls 5 yard line. From that moment on he did not look as good throwing the football, while he did a great job creating time for himself by eluding rushers, his throws were often inaccurate and late (although the offensive line should shoulder some of that blame). Tony Pike gave NFL scouts some concerns when he left the game in the third quarter after re injuring his non throwing wrist. He has already been ruled out for the next game against Louisville, and his durability concerns will ultimately hurt his draft stock.

Hot:

1. George Selvie and Jason Pierre Paul -DE's-USF.... the pass rush was the lone bright spot on defense, as the two of them were relentless at getting in the backfield and disrupting plays. Selvie got a sack and caused a fumble, while Pierre Paul had 2 tackles for a loss and hit the Bearcat's stand-in qb causing an interception late in the game that gave his team a chance to come back. Both of these kids will be playing on Sundays for a long time.

2. Tony Pike- QB-Cincy- This kid showed that is more than capable of making throws, and did a good job giving the Bearcats a lead before coming out of the game in the third. He threw 2 td passes and tallied 140 yards through basically one half of play. There were stretches of this game where he did look very human. Cincy only amassed two total first downs in the first quarter of play. His running game was virtually nonexistent with him at the helm, which enabled the Bulls to focus their intense rush on the quarterback.

3. Jeff Linkenbach- OT- Cincy...he had the task of taking Selvie 1-1 while they focused the double teams on JPP. I like the way this kid played, he is physical, big, and athletic. He did well getting down field on the few screens they ran, and what little success they had running the ball before Collaros' 75 yard scamper was to his side.

4. BJ Daniels- QB- USF- This kid is going to have a bright future. He has a great deep throw he just needs to work on his timing and accuracy, two things that will definitely improve throughout his tenure in the green and gold. He has a lot of the intangibles, and he is extremely elusive both in the pocket and running in the open field. The Bulls definitely have found their qb of the future.

5. Mardy Gilyard- WR- Cincy- He showed why he is one of the top wr prospects in the draft. He showed precise route running, great hands, and great vision. He did a good job both as a receiver and bringing back some kicks. He is deceptively fast and has a bunch of big play potential every time he is around the pigskin.

------------

Cold:

1. Jerome Murphy- CB- USF- This kid is a gifted athlete but he definitely was a detriment to his team this outing. He had 3 personal foul penalties, one of which was a 3rd and goal from the ten yard line, with the game at 24-17 late in the second half. He also dropped an interception. Many feel he may be the best player in this Bulls' secondary, and he showed glimpses of that talent, but the cons definitely outweighed the pros tonight.

2. The USF receiving corp- between Griffin, Bogan, Richardson and Mitchell, the Bulls have been looking for someone to step up. At first it looked like it would be Hester, after his 28 yard td grab in the first quarter. However after that he was held to 2 catches for 13 yards. They had a few drops, Griffin mis ran some routes. They need to do a lot better job of throwing their freshman quarterback a bone if this team is even going to finish the season ranked in the top 25.

TNF

Tonight viewers across America get a chance to take a pause from the mundane trivialities of daily life and experience a little weekend prematurely with a great match up of top 25 teams, No 8. Cincinnati and No. 21 USF.

There are a number of pro prospects to watch for in this game and they include:

George Selvie -OLB- USF

Mike Ford- RB-USF

JK Schaeffer- Cincinnati

Tony Pike- WR-Cincinnati

Marty Gilyard- WR- Cincinatti

and some day maybe even tallahassee native, BJ Daniels- QB- USF

Stay posted til after the game for my analysis

Matchup of the Week

Sunday is fast approaching. With plenty of good matchups on the bill for the weekend, there are a myriad of fantasy quandaries that have owners scratching their heads. The biggest matchup of the weekend is the clash of unbeatens: The NY Giants @ The NO Saints.

As i have expressed vehemently, i am not 100% sold on the giants credibility because four of their wins have come over the Redskins, the Cheifs, the Raiders, and the Bucs. Their lone win against a team with a winning record is against the up and down Cowboys, and that game came down the wire, in a high scoring affair (so much for NY's #1 Defense). I really do think that defense is going to be the biggest factor in this game. However i think it is the Saints underrated defense that will come out on top. Greg Williams is a defensive mastermind and he has this team playing some really inspired football. The saints rank number 11 against the pass, and number 7 against the run. Coming into their bye week they led the NFL in turnovers created. Darren Sharper looks like he is twenty five out there, making the early case for defensive mvp, with 5 picks in 4 games. Contrary to popular belief, i do not think this game will be a shootout. I believe with Manning's foot still possibly an issue, the Giants will look to the running game. The saints have not yet faced a rushing attack like this, so i think Brandon Jacobs remains a low number 1, high number 2 type running back, while Bradshaw should also be a start at flex in most deeper leagues. On the other side of the ball, today Pierre Thomas was listed as questionable. Coming into the season, Pierre Thomas was banged up, so former Denver back Mike Bell got the nod, after two good outings Bell got injured just as Pierre returned to the line up, now three weeks later, with Bell set to return from injury, Pierre continues the cycle by getting hurt himself. Watch this as we get closer to game time because less Pierre Thomas means sleeper days for both Reggie Bush (as they will try to ease bell back) and mike bell. I like Brees to have a bounce back game but nothing too spectacular, however he remains a must start. Same with Manning. The only WR i like between the two teams is Steve Smith. He has proven himself so far as Manning's most reliable target and i like that trend to continue this weekend. I do not like Colston, he has pretty much disappeared all year and i don't think he gets back into form against the number one passing defense. I do like shockey to have a good day against his former team. Revenge is a big motivator and i know he feels like he has a lot to prove.

So for this game my starts are-

Jacobs

Bradshaw

Bell

Bush

Brees

Manning

Smith

Shockey

and my sits are

Colston

Either D if you can avoid it

Manningham

Nicks- between him and manningham one of them may have a decent outing, but its hard to tell which, probably more likely Nicks if i had to chose, but id stay away from both.

Pierre Thomas -this is assuming that his injury is legit and holds him back this weekend.

in leagues deeper than 12, Nicks and Manningham become good options, same with Colston, and Devery Henderson.

Prediction for the game-

NO-26 NYG- 21

Email me at donofdynastys@gmail.com

the dismay-ders

i think thats going to be the most fun part of this blog (ok def not but still), creating sports related puns is a great deal of fun. but at number four on my mock draft: The Oakland Raiders. The cancer in Oakland has taken roots in the front office of the organization and is much deeper than just a problem with getting talent on the field. Al Davis is ridiculous. He has treated hiring a coach like trying on a dress before the prom (an experience i am sure we can all relate to). With Kiffin he tried to phone in plays during the game, nobody knew who was in control of the defense and it was all a mess. The Cable experiment has not been much better, especially with the wave of the off the field controversy he has found himself immersed in. Just a horrible owner all round, and i cannot see the raiders improving until they get rid of him (Al Davis not Cable, although they could probably do without him as well). That being said they are on pace to land another top 5 pick this year, and there is a lot available. The last 3 games the raiders have been absolutely abhorrent, not only are they a far cry from the team that was 1-1 and had almost beaten San Diego on MNF, but their uninspired play leaves little hope for the rest of the season. With holes on most of the defense, and no OL worth the pick, i think the Raiders must go with the defensive BPA. This happens to be Taylor Mays, preseason i would have said Dunlap here, but despite a weak schedule so far he has only amassed 2 sacks and 3 tfl, one of his sacks coming against charleston, the other sack against kentucky. Mays, however is an electric prospect. One thing is certain, Al Davis loves speed. That makes this pick a no brainer. Mays did the right thing in continuing his education, and his draft stock has soared as a result of it. Mays is a smart guy with his head on his shoulders, and has a great work ethic, something that the Oakland Raiders need DESPERATELY.

1. STL- Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ndamukong Suh- Nebraska

3. KC- Russell Okung- Oklahoma State

4. OAK- Taylor Mays-Safety- 6'3'' 230 lbs USC- Sr.

The Chiefs

Continuing the mock draft, next on the clock is the KC Chiefs. One question most fans have been wondering most of the year is, what exactly is it that this team is "chieffing" on (weed joke). Their defense is a mess. They allowed Miles Austin to break a dallas cowboys record (and there have been some good dallas wr's ). The chiefs' collapse the other night has reminded me of so many deals i have failed to close in my life, all the times my plans have been upended by a Miles Austin virtually out of nowhere. I digress. The Chiefs signed their future QB in Cassel this past summer, and while Larry Johnson has looked like shit, it looks like J.Charles, the second year rb out of Texas, could be a reasonable replacement, at least for the time being. I think their most glaring need is still on the O Line....Albert can be moved to guard or RT, and they can take a stud that will surely anchor their offense for years to come. Without further ado the Chiefs' pick in the 2010 draft, Russell Okung from Oklahoma State. This kid has tremendous upside, he is viable in both the run and the pass. He will be pivotal in providing Cassell some throwing time and whoever their running back is going to be some lanes to run through, because this season there has been none (both time to throw and running lanes, LJ is averaging 2.4 yards a carry through 100 carries....2.4 yards people. I agree a lot of that is due to larry, but come on).

1. Stl - Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ngdamukong Suh- Nebraska

3. KC- Russell Okung- LT- 6'6'' 305 Oklahoma State Sr

Next on the clock...The Yuckaneers!

Pick # 2 in my mock draft goes to the struggling buccaneers of tampa bay. They are another team that needs help all over the board. Lets face it there are about 6 teams in the nfl that have glaring needs in more than one area. With most football games being won and lost in the trenches, improving that area is crucial this offseason. On the defensive side, the ends look alright, Gaines Adams, while under performing, should not be counted as a bust yet, and on the other end Wilkerson has been a pleasant suprise, he has already matched a career high in sacks (5) that he set last year, and he is 4 tackles away from a career high only 5 games in. I do not know if he is the future at the position but he definitely has been more sound thus far than either Hovan or Ryan Sims. Both former high draft picks themselves neither have had stellar careers and neither has given the bucs any semblance of an attack up front. I like Gerald McCody the DT out of Oklahoma a lot, however i see them taking the safe route and going with who many consider the best defensive player in the draft: Ndamukong Suh

Remember to email me your fantasy questions too, i can tell you who to sit and who to start and what trades will bolster your roster in time for the playoffs (donofdynastys@gmail.com)

1. Stl- Sam Bradford- Oklahoma

2. TB- Ndamukong Suh, 6'4'' 305lbs Nebraska SR

1st up the St. Low-is Rams (i tried)

Ok, so i decided to go ahead and start on my mock draft. I will try and cover one pick each day for the first round, thats all i plan on doing as of now, depends how this goes and how you guys like it. For the draft order i am going to use the Week 6 ESPN Power Rankings...at week 10, 14, and after the super bowl i will adjust the orders accordingly.

Pick 1. Stl Rams- The Rams have plenty of needs (OL/S/WR/SLB) though the position that most fans are clamoring for is Quarterback. When thinking QB there is one name that comes to mind when thinking 2009 College Football, and that is.......Tim Teb--- hahah got ya, theres no way Tebow is goingto be a good qb at all, we all know i am talking about Oklahoma stud Sam Bradford.

Bradford Should have a lock on this pick assuming that he is able to show that his injury was a fluke and that he is fully recovered. He looked great throwing the ball 47 times last week against Baylor in a game that really allowed him to shake off the rust from 4 weeks of riding pine. The world will be watching at noon et this saturday as he looks to avenge his sooners against the hated longhorns.

Please email me your thoughts and comments or suggestions for anything at donofdynastys@gmail.com or just leave a comment at the bottom of the article.

Sam Bradford- QB- 6'4'' 233 Jr

A monday night party

After a long day, one thing was sure. I was most definitely ready for some football. It turned out to be quite a showing and some interesting storylines emerged throughout the divisional showdown. For starters, Braylon Edwards is one of a small handful of offensive players in the last 40 years to start for one team one week and another the next, a feat he not only accomplished, but did in style, snatching 5 catches 64 yards and a touchdown (almost 2). The Jets and Browns have similar systems and similar terminology, which enabled Braylon to crack the starting line up only 2 days after joining the team. He made an absolutely acrobatic catch on that 34 yard reception that reminded fantasy owners of his 2007 campaign. I was unaware that Edwards was also an acting major at Michigan, after dropping a huge reception he was able to draw a bogus pass interference call on the fins 5 yard line. This play enabled the Jets to go ahead with about 5 minutes left in the game. Overall he had a great game and it was remarkable how quickly he was able to do so.

Probably an even bigger story line was the emergence of Henne. He was a solid 4 year starter at Michigan, though he never lived up to the potential he flashed during his freshman campaign. A second round draft pick only in his second year, Henne has been thrown into the starting position due to the injury of veteran Chad Pennington. In Henne's previous start he looked shaky at best. The dolphins did not seem to trust him either, favoring the wild cat and the two headed monster that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have become. However tonight, against a strong Jets team, the fins knew they would have to open it up a little with their neophyte quarterback. Henne shined tonight. He found open receivers, he was accurate (20/26...and 241 yards 2 tds), he got Ginn involved on that long play. Fasano looked like a new man. It was a great day to be a Dolphins fan after seeing their offense so far this year.

There were some other players of note involved in tonights matchup:

1. Ronnie Brown- 74 yrds rushing, 2 tds, 14 yrds receiving (and 23 passing). Kid is a beast. Each week is proving why he should be considered part of that top tier of running backs. He looked good spearheading the wildcat attack, and came up huge on that touchdown in the final seconds of the game. He has shown he is still going to get his touches, and is definitely a must start fantasy running back. On a forum that i post on, somebody asked if they should start Braylon Edwards over Ronnie Brown....are you joking people...top 5 running back or wr that has just switched teams 2.5 days ago (it turned out that braylon put up some numbers, but ronnie was just too real).

2. Ricky Williams - 138 total yards- prior to the season i doubted the legitimacy of Ricky Williams as a fantasy player. He has definitely proven me wrong. He's a good weekly option in flex or 3 rb leagues. And he could spot start during your stars' bye weeks without much drop off. Despite Henne's performance i still expect the dolphins to be mostly a run oriented team. Look for Ricky and Ronnie (or Rail Road as i like to call them) to continue their success.

3. Ted Ginn Jr.- 2 rec 57 yds td...not the greatest game, but he finally got on the map after posting back to back miserable performances. I still do not know how confident i am in him becoming Henne's number 1 target, he is available in 35% of ESPN leagues, i would go ahead and pick him up if you can, and monitor how he does in the coming weeks as Henne continues to grow as a quarterback.

4. Mark Sanchez- 12/24 172 td....solid performance for the rookie. Do not expect too much out of him fantasy wise even though he has a new toy in Braylon Edwards. He can probably fill in for bye week quarterbacks most weeks, just avoid starting him starting him in tough matchups (ie. week 11 against @ the pats)

5. Thomas Jones- 42 yards 2 tds...not a flashy game by the veteran, but he got 13 touches including the goal line ones, and was able to find the promised land not once but twice. He has continued to put up decent numbers and could be a pretty consistent flex start (just avoid him in bad match ups as well, you saw how he did against the titans run D, 15 carries, 20 yards)

thats it for now, thanks all and have a great night

College prospects

I really love college football. Sadly i am a noles fan so no love there. For anyone who is interested on how i feel about the Bobby Bowden situation, stay tuned i am going to have a post on that. I really enjoy watching players that i watched in college, tear it up professionally. That being said i am going to try and get a mock draft going on here. I am going to work on compiling a list of team needs (if anyone could help me by emailing me with your team and positions that you think they need help and why?) and going from there. So until i have that ready i am going to rank my top 10 offensive players in the 2010 draft:

1. Sam Bradford- qb- oklahoma

2. Dez Bryant- wr- ok state

3. Jake Locker - qb- washington

4. Jahvid Best - rb- cal

5. Cj Spiller- Clemson

6. Jonathan Dwyer- FB- GT

7. Damian Williams- wr- USC

8. Colt McCoy- qb- Texas

9. Brandon Lafell- wr- lsu

10. Eric Decker- wr- minnesota

Mailbag

send your emails to don_of_dynastys@yahoo.com , tell me what you like, what you want me to talk about, your line up questions, your questions in general. Want to contribute? also drop me a line. I will pick out the top 5 emails each week and post them on fridays

Breaking the cherry

Dear Readers,

This will be my sports/fantasy/life blog. Hello all. I would like to remain a little in the dark for now, you guys will get to know me as my blog goes on. I am going to be doing a number of things in this blog, but being as it was mainly inspired by the fantasy football season and the lack of free help, i figured i would dive in there.

Disclaimer- Do not get mad at me if you listen to my advice and it is wrong. This is merely opinion and obviously the fun of fantasy football is the unpredictability.

First category: Where have you been?

There were a number of players who hadn't lived up to their preseason billing that managed to step it up this weekend.

Roddy White- 8 rec 210 yards 2 tds- Roddy White had been severely disappointing so far, averaging 5.2 points per through 3 contests. But in reality the only matchup he looked good against was the Dolphins, as both the panthers and patriots rank 7th and 8th in the pass coming into todays game. He got at the SF defense early and often and really put up monster numbers. He does not face an easy schedule as far as opposing passing defenses are concerned, however he remains a must start and top 10 wr for sure.

Tony Romo- 351 2 tds, 1 fumble lost...Sure he had the turnover, sure it looked ugly for a little bit there, and yea it did take an extra quarter (during which he threw a 60 yard td pass), but this was it people. The bounce back game we had all been hoping for. I read a mattew berry article the other day (he's alright sometimes) and he was talking about going against your stupid feeling, well i went with my gut and started Romo instead of Garrard (i have MSW starting also) and it paid great dividends. It was nice to see him tossing the ball around like he did when George W. Bush was still president. The boys were without Roy Williams, but it did not seem to bother him as Miles Austin had a breakout game. With Romo's schedule only getting tougher from here this is definitely the week to try and trade him.

Donovan McNabb- 264 yds, 3 tds, 30 rushing yards- It probably isnt his fault that he is even on this list but he looked great against tampa. The eagles were fortunate to have the bye and this soft match up to ease McNabb back. Look for him to continue to post monster numbers. And he possibly found a new friend in Jeremy Maclin.

Marshawn Lynch- 125 total yards, the game was a total bore, and he didnt have the flashiest of games but the bills did show who is going to be the primary back in this duo and that is Marshawn Lynch. He got the majority of the touches and looked pretty good in his second week back.

Jamal Lewis-117 yards rushing, this was the most carries he has gotten this season by far, and also the best he has looked. His average yards per carry was almost 4, which is great for him. He still needs to find the promised land this season, but i have a feeling he wont enjoy the same performance against the stout pittsburgh run defense.

Kellen Winslow- 102 yards 2 tds... in the two weeks since the end of the short lived Byron Leftwhich era in tampa bay, Winslow has not put up any numbers worth any note at all. However this week he was the lone gem on an offense that otherwise struggled to move the ball. He looked like him and Johnson developed somewhat of a rapport and often the best friend of an inexperienced qb is a veteran tight end. I like this and expect Winslow to continue to produce for the rest of the year.

Eddie Royal- 10 rec 90 yds- He did not reach the endzone but at this point it does not matter. Eddie Royal has been a huge fantasy letdown thus far in the season. However according to an espn article i read he and Kyle Orton have been staying after practice and working on their timing/chemistry/ect. Orton said, "I would love to throw it to him more, it just hasnt worked out that he has been open, but hopefully this could be his week." Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. I would pick him up if available, and hang on to him for another week or two and evaluate the situation later. (after seeing whther or not this week was just a fluke)

Matt Cassel- 253 yds 2 tds, He hadnt been "that bad" but definitely a far cry of from the career back up that shone like the sun when he got his chance last year, posting 3700 yards and tossing 21 tds in the process. Now with a starting job all to himself he has looked average at best. He did a good job today, however, and really put his team in position to win and looked amazing in that overtime forcing drive that was capped off beautifully by a strike to Dwayne Bowe in the end zone. Look for his numbers to keep up some, although maybe not next week the Redskins the only thing the skins have done right is defend the pass. They are number 3 in yards allowed.

Clinton Portis- 57 yards rushing 17 receiving, 2 total td's Ok, his numbers were not spectacular, but he found the end zone twice and thats been a lot more than anything else he has done recently. Use this weekends stock bump to get rid of him while you can get the most. He is hurting and he is on a bad team. Dating back to last year he has only had 1 game with over 100 yards rushing in the last 13 contests. Weak sauce. They do play the cheifs (8th worst in rushing ypg, and have given up more than a score a week) so maybe he will have a big game next week at which point he will be a must sell.

Wake up!-

There were a number of players that people hit the snooze button on this weekend and it came to bite them in the ass.

Those players-

Miles Austin- 10 catches 250 yds 2tds- Amazing breakout game for Austin. With the absence of Roy Willaims, someone had to step up, many thought it would be Crayton, but he was eclipsed by the play of this young star. He showed a glimpse of this with his 42 yd td reception against tampa in week 1. Romo clearly has not been comfortable so far this season, maybe he and Austin will settle down and put up some numbers together. The reason this looks like it was not a fluke (like say massaqoui), is the way he put up his numbers. The one where he went up and snatched the ball from the mits of the cheifs defender was one of the best catches of the year. He also showed he is a tough runner and not afraid to catch the ball in traffic over the middle.

Jeremy Maclin-6 rec 142 yds 2tds- wow. Not quite as good as Austins game but monstrous none the less. In his first start he put up a measly 3 catches. Many thought with McNabb coming back from injury he was going to go to someone that he was more familiar with, but that proved not to the be case as Maclin converted big play after big play. Definitely pick him up, especially if you have leagues where you get points for long plays. Maclin could well be the bona fide number 2 wr in philly which should be great for future flex starts and dealing with bye week wr's.

Austin Collie- 8 rec, 97 yds, td...Everyone was in a frenzy when at last minute MSW was ruled out for the Jags. They turned to the 8:30 game and monday night in desperation trying to avoid the costly goose egg in the scoring column. Collie was one of these replacements, and boy were those who picked him up relieved when he not only filled in, but excelled. I do not know how much he will play when Anthony Gonzales comes back (he will be the number 4 wr, behind wayne, gonzales, and garcon. (oh yea and dallas clark)). But for one week this was sure impressive. In deeper leagues i would consider him the next week or two, especially pprs.

Hasselbeck- 241 yards 4 tds....its not that i didnt think he was capable of these numbers, but i definitely didnt see it happening fresh off of injury with no offensive line. At one point in the game i think the seahawks were playing a 4th string OL. However he made both Burleson and Houshmanzadeh owners extremely happy, spreading out two touchdowns to each of them. While it is obvious that playing the jaguars porous passing defense made this a lot easier, i think if he can stay healthy he could still have quite a season. look to pick him up if you are resorting to the QBBC approach.

Well this did it folks, i hope you enjoyed. I will post those who pissed me off sometime tomorrow.