Fantasy Football GM's

Team #1

Drew Brees 15

Team #2

Peyton Manning 34

Well Peyton got the best of this first round matchup. Both were quarterback of undefeated teams coming into this week. The Colts took care of business on Thursday night beating the Jags in another close game. The Saints did not play their best game and lost at home to the Cowboys. A huge win for the Cowboys, the Saints lost their undefeated season but did not lose a game in the NFC playoff standings because the Vikings also to the Panthers.

A brief breakdown of the stats shows Peyton throwing for 308 yards, 4 TD's and 1 Int while Breese threw for 298 yards 1 TD and 1 Int.

How long the Colts starters will be playing this week has not been announced yet but since they are undefeated I'm assuming they will at least give a good shot against the Jets. The Saints are still playing for home field advantage so I'm assuming they will be playing their starters most of the game as well. We'll see how things go, this may end up being the last week for fantasy apprentice. Drew Brees would have to come up big if that is the case and he has a good matchup at home against Tampy Bay...

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 29
WR Randy Moss -.4

Total=28.6

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 26

Total= 26

Well the day has finally come for me to get rid of Randy Moss. Technically Peyton should be gone since he was the losing team but Randy only managed one catch and...he FUMBLED IT!!! No doubt about it and there is no need for me to justify this. Plus it sets up a dream matchup of two undefeated quarterbacks. If they're both playing for the next couple weeks we may have a two or three week playoff between these two. We'll see how it goes and I'll still be updating the fantasy apprentice weekly. As for Randy Moss you're finally fired!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 26
WR Randy Moss 12.6

Total= 38.6

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 16
RB Chris Johnson 14.1

Total= 30.1

It was another close one between these two with Drew Brees's last minute 53-yard touchdown to Robert Meachem verse the Redskins pretty much the difference. What a game btw huh? Seems like it might just be New Orleans year when the opposing team's kicker misses a 23-yard chip shot that would've put the game away late in the fourth quarter.

Even when Brees threw a pick it turned into a touchdown when Meachem stripped the ball away from the defender and returned it into the end zone. Drew threw another touchdown as well for a total of two on the day but he also put up 419 yards passing in a cold-weather game against the leagues fourth best pass defense according to nfl.com...wow. He simply can't be stopped. I would definitely consider him the favorite to win the first Fantasy Apprentice crown. Only two more weeks left and the Saints play at Atlanta then home verse the Cowboys.

Randy Moss survives another week...have I mentioned that I would really like to fire him already. Hopefully next week is it for him as we will only have three players left and I can't see him making the final game.

Peyton Manning continues to plug along putting up solid but not great stats and the Colts continue to do just enough to keep winning games. The Colts beat Chris Johnson and the Titans this week. Johnson accumulated over 140 all-purpose yards but was not able to get in the end zone and when you're still around this late in the year, you gotta get in the end zone or you're probably done for...Chris Johnson you're fired. See you guys next week!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 44
RB Chris Johnson 24.6
WR Randy Moss 6.7

Total= 75.3

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 23
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 11

Total= 34

Well Drew Brees was definitely the MVP of week 12. He threw for 371 yards and 5 touchdowns in an awesome performance by the Saints on Monday Night Football. In fact, he single handedly beat team 2 by himself scoring 44 fantasy points.

Randy Moss had another off-week. I'm shocked he has made it this far. I had Chris Johnson fill in for Michael Turner, who re-injured his ankle and looks like he won't be returning to his 2008 self anytime soon. It became pretty apparent that Johnson would be the next line now after his 2 touchdown performance this week. Some are arguing that he is the most valuable and complete back in the game. While I'll disagree, I still think he deserves to be in the conversation. Did you see the Titan offensive line on one of his touchdowns after he broke the first tackle? All of their hands went up because they knew he was gone...dude is explosive no doubt.

Peyton Manning and the Colts came from behind to win again this week and remain undefeated. He had a good game throwing for 3 touchdowns, but nothing spectacular with only 244 yards and 2 interceptions.

MJD seems to be the odd man out this week. Even though he did score double digit fantasy points, he did not score any touchdowns and his team only managed 3 total points in a loss against the 49ers. Maurice Jones-Drew you've had a great year but...you're fired.

See you guys next week as Chris Johnson will be joining Peyton Manning and Team #2.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 25
RB DeAngelo Williams 13.1
WR Randy Moss 9.4

Total= 47.5

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 15
RB Adrian Peterson 9.8
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 14.4

Total= 39.2

A rather uneventful week saw the Saints and Colts stay undefeated along with a thrilling last-second Lions victory for a battle of the league's two worst teams. The Saints continued to steamroll behind Drew Brees' 3 touchdowns tosses, while the Colts were rather lucky that Joe Flaco threw a red zone interception that cost the Ravens a chance to take advantage of a sub-par 2 interception performance from Peyton Manning.

I had Deangelo Williams fillin for Michael Turner, who may be out another 4 to 6 weeks. Team 1 also got 9.4 points from Randy Moss who caught a touchdown, but only had 34 yards receiving as Wes Welker was Tom Brady's favorite target verse the Jets.

Team 2 got another solid contribution from MJD, but Adrian Peterson and Peyton Manning both had below average weeks. AP's stats suffered because of a great day by Brett Favre who threw for 4 touchdowns.

So it comes down to Peyton vs. Peterson. One of my twitter connections @candacearm helped me out with this decision and reminded me how important Peyton has been to his team this year. He has been a great leader and helped make newbies like Garcon and Collie into solid contributors on an undefeated team in 2009. AP is still the best back in football but he got overshadowed by Favre this week, and in the fantasy apprentice game it only takes one bad week and you can be gone. Adrian Peterson, you're fired.

Team #1

WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 19.5

Team #2

WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 32.4

In what ended up being great finale to the first Fantasy Apprentice season, Jacquizz Rodgers of the Oregon State Beavers edged out Notre Dame's Golden Tate to become the first College Fantasy Apprentice Champion!

Rodgers scored two rushing touchdowns and totaled over 200 all-purpose yards this week. The speedy little sophomore running back only stands 5 feet and 7 inches tall, however he has put up huge numbers this year tying the Beavers school record with 19 touchdowns while gaining 1,313 rushing yards. He has been very consistent throughout his 2009 campaign, in fact there was only one game verse UCLA in which he did not score a touchdown. His best games coming against Stanford in which he had 189 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns and his last two games verse Washington and Washington State in which he rushed for over 150 yards and scored twice in both. Although he has been pretty under that radar this year in my opinion, he has a chance to really get on the national scene with a huge game against #8 Oregon next week. It's been a pleasure watching him this year and it's great to have such a worth champion. Congratulations Jacquizz Rodgers!

Golden Tate put together a great year too. It seemed that every game Notre Dame played this year went down to the wire, thus allowing Tate a "golden" opportunity to put up big numbers and make a name for himself creating a formidable duo with quarterback Jimmy Clausen. He took full advantage of it, setting school records for catches in a season (83) and season yardage (1,295), scoring 12 touchdowns along the way. Tate only had one game in which he didn't score as well, the first game of the season against Nevada. Although very championship-worthy, it has come time for the last College Fantasy Apprentice firing of the year...Golden Tate you're fired.

See you guys next year, thanks for following! We still have a couple more weeks until we crown the NFL Fantasy Apprentice so stay tuned. Feel free to let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or advice.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 16
RB Michael Turner 11.1
WR Randy Moss 29.9
WR Calvin Johnson 8.4

Total= 65.4

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 33
RB Adrian Peterson 26.3
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 20.5

Total= 79.8

In a stunning upset, Team #2 beats Team #1 down a man. A great performance by Peyton Manning in the Sunday night game made all the difference where he threw for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns.

AP ran for another 2 touchdowns and I really feel for all MJD owners as he should've had two scores as well but took on the one yard line to burn valuable time as the Jets had no remaining timeouts. Jones-Drew even apologized to his fantasy owners in the post-game press conference, mentioning that he owns himself as well. I understand that he doing this for his team, but it's this kind of stuff that can get you fired in Fantasy Apprentice. Thankfully for MJD his team came out ahead.

Team #1 saw another good performance from Randy Moss with 2 scores and 179 yards but that's about it. I really expected more out of Drew Brees playing the lowly Rams and Michael Turner ran for 111 yards on only 9 carries before sufffering a high-ankle sprain.

That only leaves my beloved Megatron who scored the least amount of points last week too. CJ had eight receptions for 84 yards, but no touchdowns and at least two drops that I saw. Him and Stafford will works things out eventually but still have a ways to go. The good news is that the Lions play Cleveland next week. The bad news is that Calvin Johnson is fired.

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 21.6
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 17.5

Total= 39.1

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 15
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 27.5

Total= 42.5

Wow, we had ourselves a close game this week. The Notre Dame vs. Pitt game got off to a slow start but led to an exciting finish. Clausen and the boys tried to make another fourth quarter comeback after being down 18, Tate scored on an 87 yard punt return but they eventually came up short 27-22.

Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators beat South Carolina 24-14 to become the first undefeated team in the conference since Steve Spurrier's 1996 national championship Gator team. South Carolina scored an early fourth quarter touchdown to take the lead but Florida ended up prevailing. Although Florida is undefeated, they have not been very impressive offensively this year.

Oregon State rolled over Washington 48-21 with the help of two touchdowns and 159 rushing yards from Jacquizz Rodgers.

Normally Tate would be the most likely to go here but his punt return didn't count for any points, so a tough decision was made even tougher. After looking at the schedules for the coming weeks I decided that it would be best to have our final showdown next week. In my opinion Golden Tate and Jacquizz Rodgers have been the best two players all year so... I'm setting up a final showdown for them next week. Tim Tebow and Jimmy Clausen you're fired!

See you guys next week when we will crown our first College Fantasy Apprentice!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 17.4
RB Michael Turner 30
WR Randy Moss 20.7
WR Calvin Johnson 2.7

Total= 70.8

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 16
RB Ryan Grant 15.6
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 19.4
WR Andre Johnson 10.3

Total= 61.3

Boy did Larry Fitzgerald make me look bad this week. After firing him last week, he only had 9 receptions for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns verse the Bears.

Calvin Johnson came back after missing the last three fantasy apprentice games and...stunk the joint up. It seemed that Stafford underthrew a couple balls his way but they are definitely not on the same page currently and Megatron has been a major fantasy disappointment so far this year. He was saved by Michael Turner's big two touchdown 166 yard performance against the Redskins.

If I had my choice to replace Adrian Peterson in week 9 I would have chosen Deangelo Williams, but I didn't want his two touchdowns to be the difference between the two teams so I chose Ryan Grant who put up a solid 96 yards and a touchdown. MJD was solid as always, Manning had a less than stellar game with over 300 yards passing but only 1 touchdown and 1 interception and Andre Johnson didn't have a touchdown but caught 10 passes for 103 yards.

This was a tough one but when it's a close call I have to go with past performance and Peyton has been very consistent all year. Andre has had two games with only two catches and one game with only 4 catches and 35 yards. Peyton has only had one game of under 300 yards passing. Andre Johnson...you're fired.

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 22.7
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 19.4
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 15.7

Total= 57.8

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 28
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 13.6

Total= 41.6

The Notre Dame Boy's put up good numbers again, although they lost to Navy for the second year in row. I wish I could fire him but it wasn't Jimmy's fault they lost. He put up 452 passing yards and two touchdowns. Actually if it was just Clausen and Tate vs. Tebow, Briscoe and Rodgers the game would have been decided by only about 3 points even though they would have been down a player.

That only leaves one option, Dezmon Briscoe. He's scored pretty much every week this year and been very solid but I have no other choice.

Next week Jacquizz Rodgers will join Jimmy on Team #2 and we will be down to the final four, see you next week!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 22
RB Michael Turner 21.1
WR Larry Fitzgerald 6.6
WR Roddy White 16.8

Total= 66.5

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 13
RB Adrian Petersen 20.1
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 29.7
WR Andre Johnson 6.3
WR Reggie Wayne 20.7

Total= 89.8

Reggie Wayne and Roddy White filled in this week for the injured Calvin Johnson and Randy Moss who was on bye.

Maurice Jones-Drew carried the load this week for Team #2. Adrian Petersen and Reggie Wayne turned in nice performances as well, with down-weeks for Peyton Manning and Andre Johnson. Manning was held without a touchdown by the 49er defense and Johnson was still fighting off the chest contusion he suffered last week.

Team #1 tried to mount a furious come back on Monday Night with three players Drew Brees, Michael Turner and Roddy White featured in the game. However, they fell short mostly in part because they were down a man and Larry Fitzgerald's numbers suffered due in large part to a poor performance by Kurt Warner.

Fitz is one of the best and if I had to build my team around one receiver it would probably be him. I would've way rather fired Randy Moss a long time ago, but this is just how the chips fell...You're fired Larry.

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 38.5
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 26.2
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 20.4

Total= 85.1

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 22
RB C.J. Spiller Clemson 8.7
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 17

Total= 47.7

Team #1 came through with another solid performance. Both Tim Tebow and Golden Tate were a big part of their teams big wins. Tebow accounted for 4 scores altogether...2 on the ground and 2 through the air while Tate scored once rushing and once receiving as well. Jacquizz Rodgers put up over 200 all-purpose yards with 9 receptions.

Team #2 had a respectable showing but not nearly as good as Team #1. Each player was involved in scoring plays with Clausen throwing for two, Briscoe catching one and Spiller running for one.

Unfortunately for Spiller he re-aggravated a season long bout with turf toe so Clemson lightened his load during their rout of Coastal Carolina. In fact, he only had five carries for 27 yards but one of those was for a score. Spiller was really starting to come on in recent weeks though. After his great performance against Miami last week, Spiller had started to get his name mentioned in the Heisman talk. However, this will mark the end of C.J.'s run in the fantasy apprentice after scoring the least points on the losing team....C.J. Spiller you're fired. See you guys next week.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 23.3
RB Matt Forte 4.9
RB Michael Turner 11
WR Larry Fitzgerald 8.3
WR Randy Moss 6.9

Total= 54.4

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 27
RB Adrian Petersen 18.9
RB Cedric Benson 24.9
WR Andre Johnson 6.2
WR Reggie Wayne 14.3

Total= 91.3

I had Cedric Benson fill in for MJD this week for team #2. He was able to contribute nicely with a touchdown and almost two hundred yards on the ground. Everyone else stayed pretty consistent except for Andre Johnson who had to leave the game in the fourth quarter because of a chest injury.

As for team #1, Drew Brees was able to put up good points despite throwing three int's because he ran for two short touchdowns. Randy Moss didn't put up very good numbers again, but even worse was Matt Forte. I've discussed in previous weeks how disappointed I have been with him this year, so when he scored the least points this week on the losing team he was the obvious the option. Matt Forte...you're fired.

I'll be looking for pretty much all of Team #1 to step it up next week. Drew Brees and Michael Turner will be featured in what should be a great Monday Night game between the Saints and Falcons at the Superdome. Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals have a favorably matchup verse the Panthers at home and T.J. Houshmandzadeh is at Dallas. Let's go guys!!! See you next week...

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 15.8
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 6
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 24.6
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 24.3

Total= 70.7

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 19.1
RB C.J. Spiller Clemson 24.5
WR Marshawn Gillyard Cincy 14.7

Total= 58.3

Dezmon Briscoe got let off the hook this week with only 6 points for the winning team #1. Jacquizz Rodgers scored enough points in the late west coast game to give team #1 the win, who were playing with a one-man advantage. Tebow threw two interceptions but still managed 88 yards on the ground and a score to post over 15 points. Golden Tate was stellar again with a couple touchdowns as well.

As far for team #2 C.J. Spiller continues to be the stud scoring a receiving touchdown and returning a kickoff for a score. Jimmy Clausen threw for another couple touchdowns in their win against Boston College. That leaves Marshawn Gillyard who even though he scored a touchdown and 87 yards, still had the least points for the losing team so...he's fired.

Things are getting close, we are down to the final six. Desmon Briscoe will be switching teams to even things out next week, should be exciting...see you then!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 38
RB Matt Forte 6
RB Michael Turner 10.6
WR Larry Fitzgerald 16
WR Randy Moss 29.9
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 3.4

Total= 103.9

Team #2

QB Aaron Rodgers 26
RB Adrian Petersen 16.6
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 35.8
WR Andre Johnson 13.5
WR Brandon Marshall 4.9

Total= 96.8

It was finally coming out week for Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the New England Patroits. Tom threw 6 touchdowns in all, 3 to Randy, 2 to Wes Welker and 1 to Kevin Faulk. It's about time because I was getting ready to fire Randy soon. Maurice Jones-Drew also had a strong comeback this week after referring to himself as an "expensive decoy" last week with 3 touchdowns and let's not forget Drew Brees wasn't too shabby himself posting 4 touchdowns and 369 yards passing.

The game was pretty close with Brandon Marshall needing about 14 points on Monday night to give Team #2 the win. However, he could only muster up 5 catches for forty-nine yards. T.J. Houshmandzadeh was bailed out again as the overall lowest point earner, along with Matt Forte who continues to disappoint. As for Brandon, although he has come up big for the Broncos with multiple scores in the 4th quarter this year, he did not come up clutch for his fantasy apprentice team this week and I gotta fire him. Peace Baby T.O. I 'll catch you on the flipside!

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 22.9
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 21.4
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 24
WR/RB Toby Gerhart Stanford 24.3

Total= 92.6

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 22
RB C.J. Spiller Clemson 23.2
WR Marshawn Gillyard Cincy 7.5
WR Jordan Shipley Texas 2.2

Total= 54.9

Since Sam Bradford hardly played Jimmy Clausen rejoined Team #2 and will be there for the foreseeable future. Toby Gerhart filled in for Jacquizz Rodgers for Team #1.

Team #1 was very consistent throughout, although Tebow had to pull off some last minute heroics in a game they should have easily won against Arkansas. Dezmon Briscoe had a solid performance in a losing effort against underdog Colorado. Golden Tate and Toby Gerhart both scored twice as well.

Team #2 saw Jimmy Clausen play well in a big game against USC that they nearly came back to win. C.J. Spiller remained consistent with another couple touchdowns. However Team 2's downfall was their receiver play. Marshawn Gillyard posted 75 yards in a big conference game that they won over South Florida, even after their stud quarterback Tony Pike was knocked out of the game with a wrist injury.

That only leaves Jordan Shipley who has been pretty good all year, but only put up 22 yards verse Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Even though Texas still won, Shipley's got to go. See you guys next week!

Team #1

QB Donovan McNabb 28
RB Chris Johnson 4.3
RB Michael Turner 27.7
WR Larry Fitzgerald 19.9
WR Randy Moss 3.6
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 20.7

Total= 104.2

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 30
RB Adrian Petersen 18.9
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 5.7
WR Andre Johnson 22.1
WR Reggie Wayne 12
TE Jason Witten 4.7

Total= 93.4

I had Donovan McNabb fillin for Drew Brees and Reggie Wayne fillin for Calvin Johnson since he barely played. T.J. Houshmandzadeh was traded to team #1 and played nicely for the second week in a row posting a couple touchdowns.

Randy Moss got bailed out again, so next time team 1 loses he will be a prime candidate to get fired regardless of his production. Chris Johnson did not fillin very well this week and team 1 will get Forte back next week.

As for this week, Jason Witten didn't put up good numbers last week and was the obvious candidate this week with the lowest production. So, Jason Witten...you're fired. See you next week!

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 12.8
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 30.8
WR Demaryius Thomas Georgia Tech 14.4
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 51.1

Total= 109.1

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy 14
RB Toby Gerhart Stanford 21.6
WR Mike Williams Syracuse 15.9
WR Jordan Shipley Texas 20.7

Total= 72.2

Another strange week because of the bye week fill-ins but Jacquizz Rodgers of Oregon State stole the show with 4 touchdowns vs. Standford. He scored 51.1 points and this is not a point per reception scoring system. Dezmon Briscoe came back strong with a couple touchdowns and over 30 points. Dez Bryant is still out for Oklahoma State so Demaryius Thomas of Georgia Tech filled in for him with a touchdown.

Although Texas got off to a slow start they still ended up beating Colorado pretty bad. However, they didn't put up the stats I would expect from such a mismatch...maybe they were looking ahead a little to Oklahoma this week. Anyways, Colt McCoy scored the least amount of points this week for the losing team so he's fired. Sam Bradford will replace him on Team 2 next week, see you then!

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 7.5
RB Chris Johnson 9.4
RB Matt Forte 20
WR Reggie Wayne 13.4
WR Randy Moss 11
WR Marques Colston 3.3

Total= 64.6

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 24
RB Adrian Petersen
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 10
WR Andre Johnson 6.6
WR Calvin Johnson 13.3
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 10.3
TE Jason Witten 3.1

Total= 67.3

If you played Drew Brees this week in fantasy football consider yourself lucky. This was definitely the week to play him as he did not throw for any touchdowns and only 190 yards. Team 2 plays him every week this year unless he gets fired, but they were able to take advantage of it with another solid performance from Peyton Manning along with much better production from Houshmandzadeh and Megatron. Jason Witten was let off the hook as he was the lowest scoring individual but played on the winning team. The Cowboys need to get it together or he might be the next to go.

As for this week, the Saints ended up winning their big game against the Jets but did it in a different way this week. They got another defensive touchdown from Darren Sharper and score on the ground from Pierre Thomas. That leaves Colston as the odd man out with only 33 yards this week, Marques...you're fired.

Team #1

QB Jacory Harris Miami 22
WR Austin Pettis Boise State 24.9
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 33.5
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 16.8

Total= 97.2

Team #2

QB Jimmy Clausen Notre Dame 26
RB Jahvid Best Cal 5.2
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson 7.9
WR Marshawn Gilyard Cincy 13.5
WR A.J. Green Georgia 15.9

Total= 68.5

I had to scrap together both teams this week because of byes. Since Bradford was still not back yet I thought that Jacory Harris from Miami and Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame were the next best quarterbacks, who both had pretty good games. Wide receivers Austin Pettis of Boise State and A. J. Green of Georgia filled in adequately as well.

As for the play of both teams, it is rare to see a team down one player score more points and win, however that was the case this week with team 1. They got big performances from their mainstays Golden Tate and Jacquizz Rodgers along with great production off the waiver wire.

Team 2 had a very disappointing week, most notably from the running backs, although C.J. Spiller did have a kickoff return for a touchdown that did not count toward his point totals. That only leaves my main man Jahvid Best unfortunately. I love watching him play and was really rooting for him but with two poor performances in a row and the lowest point total on the losing team I gotta do it. Jahvid Best...you're fired.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 6.8
RB Michael Turner 11.6
RB Matt Forte 10.6
WR Larry Fitzgerald 7.6
WR Randy Moss 11.6
WR Marques Colston 6.7
TE Antonio Gates 6.4

Total= 61.3

Team #2

QB Peyton Manning 37
RB Adrian Petersen 9.9
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 32.7
WR Andre Johnson 8.6
WR Calvin Johnson 5.5
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 1.5
TE Jason Witten 7.7

Total= 103.6

Boy I should fire all of team 2 for their performance this week. Pretty bad all the way around. Drew Brees has earned himself a pass for his stellar play the first two weeks of the season, other than that nobobdy else has really separated themselves.

I've curbed my enthusiasm for Matt Forte a little already...it seems to me that he caught all those balls last year because their quarterback Kyle Orton did not have nearly the arm that Cutler has and thus he checked down a lot more. It could also be that Cutler just likes to take more risks. Either way I don't think he will be worthy of his consensus #3 overall pick this year. Of course he is playing the Lions next week, so he could prove me very wrong in week 4...wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh got let off the hook by a 4 touchdown day for Peyton Manning and three touchdowns for MJD. He scored the least amount of points by far but in his defense his starting quarterback is injured and of course he had the benefit of playing on the winning fantasy team this week. That's all I got for this week and oh yeah, Antonio Gates...you're fired.

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 32
RB Joe McKnight USC 11.8
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 14
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 17.2
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 32.4

Total= 107.42

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy Texas 28
RB Jahvid Best Cal 6.9
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson 25.1
WR Marshawn Gilyard 29.7
WR Jordan Shipley Texas 18.2

Total= 107.9

Wow, what a close game! It doesn't get much closer than this with Team 2 winning by less than half a point. Another crazy week in college football as 3 top ten teams go down. I had the stud receiver from Cincinnati Marshawn Gilyard fillin for Dez Bryant who was out with a hamstring injury fyi.

Team 1 wasn't able to win despite getting a huge effort from their new addition Rodgers who scored twice and put up over 32 points. Thoughts and prayers go out for Tim Tebow after suffering a concussion. He was still able to put up big numbers before that and Florida has a bye next week so he should be ready to go by then. I will replace him with either Terrell Pryor or Sam Bradford if he is healthy next week. I was actually quite shocked the Jahvid Best put up the least points out of everyone, however Joe McKnight put up the least amount on the losing team and thus he is fired. See you guys next week.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 30
RB Michael Turner 16.5
RB Matt Forte 6.2
WR Larry Fitzgerald 9.4
WR Randy Moss 2.4
WR Marques Colston 21.8
TE Antonio Gates 7.8

Total= 94.1

Team #2

QB Tom Brady 6
RB Adrian Petersen 17.6
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 8.3
WR Andre Johnson 26.9
WR Calvin Johnson 11.1
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 6.2
TE Jason Witten 9.3
RB/WR LaDainian Tomlinson DNP

Total= 85.4

Team 2 was not able to take advantage of their one player advantage with LT out. Andre Johnson put on a show, I thought AP would put up bigger numbers considering he was playing against the Lions but what was even more surprising was that Tom Brady did not throw any touchdowns and 1 interception.

Darelle Revis, the Jets defense and Rex Ryan deserve a lot of credit with their scheme. They put Revis one-on-one against Moss who did a great job and were able to pressure Brady all day. The Patroits have not looked like the Pats of 07’ and if it wasn’t for the last couple minutes of their opener Brady would have no touchdowns at all. Granted, they were without Wes Welker who is very valuable. I can hardly believe I’m doing this myself but Tom Brady…you’re fired.

This week was a perfect example of how unpredictable the fantasy apprentice game can be. Who would've ever thought Tom Brady would be gone in week 2?

Since LT is injured and Team 2 has no quarterback now I am dropping LT and picking up Peyton Manning for Team 2. See you guys next week!

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 11
RB Joe McKnight USC 16.6
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 17.7
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 18.7
WR/RB Chris Brown Oklahoma 8.4

Total= 72.4

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy Texas 10.5
RB Jahvid Best Cal 44.8
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson 7.9
WR Dez Bryant OK St. 29.9
WR Jordan Shipley Texas 13.3
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 22.3

Total= 128.7

What a week for team 2 and Jahvid Best. He scored 5 touchdowns and rushed for 131 yard. I would consider him the early favorite for the Heisman, especially with the way that some of the top quarterbacks have played so far. Colt McCoy was not very impressive throwing 2 int’s and Tebow didn’t throw a touchdown pass, ending his streak of 30 consecutive games with a td toss.

As for team 1, I would expect more from Joe McKnight with their starting qb out, although he did rush for a 100 yards and a touchdown…seemed like the backup Corp was pretty rattled, so I can’t put that on him. The Gators did not beat Tennessee by as much as expected, but they did still win…Tebow cut it pretty close this but I’ll give him a pass for this week. Golden Tate had another pretty good week but did drop another easy touchdown pass. I would expect him to put up consistent numbers in the coming weeks since Notre Dame’s other receiver Floyd went down with a broken collarbone. Briscoe has been pretty consistent for Kansas so…that only leaves Chris Brown out of Oklahoma. The Sooners won 45-0 and he only got 84 yards on the ground and no touchdowns. It’s probably not all his fault since it seemed Oklahoma was throwing a lot, even with backup qb Greg Landry in, but that’s the way it goes. Chris Brown you’re fired.

Next week Jacquizz Rodgers will be switching teams to even things out. Check back and see who’s next to go.

Carolina- picked up A.J. Feely, probably wanted Jeff Garcia too after the way Delhomme played last week.

Chicago- Brian Urlacher is out for the year after dislocating his wrist. Cutler was real bad last week, I expect him to get better just not this week verse the Steelers and not as much as I expected. In case you missed the game he didn't really seem to be clicking with his receivers.

Denver- will continue to rotate running backs with Moreno and Buckhalter splitting a majority of the carries per offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. It will probably take a few outstanding games from one of the other to gain no.1 status per fftoolbox.

Detroit- nothing really of note just that they are really bad and playing Adrian Peterson this week. If you own him you may not even need to start anybody else.

Kansas City- Matt Cassell is still questionable for week 2 per head coach Todd Haley.

Indianapolis- Anthony Gonzalez is out 2-6 weeks...keep your eye on Pierre Garcon. If he is available on the waiver wire I would give him a good look. The Colts are supposedly very high on him and Austin Collie which is why they are still not interested in Marvin Harrison. Btw, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark owners should benefit from this injury...I have both of them in our Fantasy Crowd Elite League :).

New Orleans- Pierre Thomas says he will be ready to go this week. Thomas' return will not diminish the amount of snaps that Reggie Bush sees per head coach Payton, however Pierre may still be splitting carries with Mike Bell, keep your eye on this if you own either of them.

Oakland- looked pretty good on Monday night if you weren't able to catch the game. Looks like both Darren McFadden and Michael Bush will be fantasy relevant this year. They were playing good physical football and running the ball up the gut nicely verse the Chargers. Also, Russell threw the ball a lot to Zach Miller. If you were patient and waited on him in your draft congratulations, he may very well be a pro-bowler this year and will get a lot of receptions.

Philadelphia- picked up Jeff Garcia who filled in nicely for McNabb in 06'. Great move for them, pretty much means Vick will be limited to a specialty role...bet he wishes he signed with someobody else now. Also that guy that the playboy playmate Kendra Wilkinson is married to Hank Baskett was cut to make room Garcia.

San Diego- LT will not practice Wednesday and will be a game-time decision due to sprained ankle.

Tampa Bay- Antonio Bryant will play despite knee soreness although I must say even though he is in a contract year it doesn't look like he will be able to match what he did last year in my opinion as long as Leftwich is starting. I thought he played well for Pittsburgh last year when he got a chance but he did not seem very accurate or to be throwing the ball with any touch against Dallas.

A much tougher decision in the NFL fantasy apprentice this week. All the running backs from the losing team underperformed and had similar stats accumulating about 65 total yards. I was particularly surprised that Stephen Jackson and Matt Forte did not get more receiving yards though.

The decision comes down to who hurt their team the most. The Falcons won, so Turner is off the hook. After watching the Bears game, it’s pretty clear that it was more Cutler’s fault and the coaching staff went away from the run most of the game. That only leaves Stephen Jackson.

I’ve heard all year how they expect him to be their everything. No yards receiving? No points from the Rams at all? I made my decision with help from my twitter clan, who to his defense did not get much help from his offensive line but…Stephen Jackson you’re fired.

Thanks to @drumminlogan @eastcoasterin, @texazicon, @venomlace and @razzball for your help. Check back in week 2 to see who I fire next.

Team #1

QB Drew Brees 48.32
RB Michael Turner 6.5
RB Matt Forte 5.5
WR Larry Fitzgerald 14.1
WR Randy Moss 14.1
WR Marques Colston 9.0
TE Antonio Gates 8.3
RB/WR Steven Jackson 6.7

Total= 112.52

Team #2

QB Tom Brady 25.9
RB Adrian Petersen 37.8
RB Maurice Jones-Drew 18.3
WR Andre Johnson 3.5
WR Calvin Johnson 9.0
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh 4.8
TE Jason Witten 7.1
RB/WR LaDainian Tomlinson 10.5

Total= 116.9

The biggest disappointment in college football this week was Oklahoma State. After coming off a big win at Georgia and being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, hopes were very high for this team.

I saw a twitter comment from @movethesticks that compared the Oklahoma State loss to chicken noodle soup for a sad/very sick Oklahoma Sooner nation. Their stud running back, who did have a touchdown in the game, happened to be on the losing team this week and have the lowest point total of all his teammates. Pretty easy decision for me this week…Kendall Hunter… you’re fired.

I was happy to see that both teams were pretty evenly matched and the game ended up a close one. Team 2 should have a sizable advantage with one more player then Team 1 in week 2, check back next week to see who get's fired next.

Week 1 point totals:

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida 40.1
RB Joe McKnight USC 12.5
RB Kendall Hunter Ok St. 9.5
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 15.4
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame 22
WR/RB Chris Brown Oklahoma 15.3

Total= 114.8

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy Texas 39.4
RB Jahvid Best Cal 28.3
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson 8.7
WR Dez Bryant OK St. 16.0
WR Jordan Shipley Texas 6.1
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State 29.1

Total= 127.6

I thought of a fun little game I hope the fantasy crowd will like that I call the Fantasy Apprentice. Since I always dreamed of being Donald Trump and love fantasy football so much, I figured why not combine the two?

You may not have ever watched Donald Trump’s show “The Apprentice” but you have probably heard him say his famous phrase “You’re Fired”. Basically what happens is he forms two teams that compete at various tasks and he ends up firing somebody each week off of the losing team.

Thus, I have assembled two fantasy football teams of 8 skilled position players for a total of 16 players altogether. I may add a player or two off the waiver wire or make some trades throughout the year as necessary to ensure the teams are fairly matched and…fire somebody off the losing team each week. The point system will be standard scoring (6 pts for all TD’s, .1 per yard for RB/WR, 1 pt. for every 25 yards throwing).

The cool thing about the apprentice game is that it is unpredictable. The person who deserves to get fired doesn’t always get fired. Somebody may slip through the cracks and as long as they perform well on weeks that their team loses, they may end up lasting much longer than expected. Also, it’s not only the stats that go into the equation…if a receiver puts up big numbers but drops a for sure touchdown late in the fourth quarter in a close game, guess who’s getting fired? I even threw in a bonus college fantasy football apprentice for all you college buffs.

Thanks for reading, I will appreciate everybody’s feedback and suggestions along the way as we count down to the end of the year and the first Fantasy Football Apprentice!

NFL

Team #1

QB Drew Brees
RB Michael Turner
RB Matt Forte
WR Larry Fitzgerald
WR Randy Moss
WR Marques Colston
TE Antonio Gates
RB/WR Steven Jackson

Team #2

QB Tom Brady
RB Adrian Petersen
RB Maurice Jones-Drew
WR Andre Johnson
WR Calvin Johnson
WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh
TE Jason Witten
RB/WR LaDainian Tomlinson

Bonus: College Fantasy Football Apprentice

Team #1

QB Tim Tebow Florida
RB Joe McKnight USC
RB Kendall Hunter Ok St.
WR Dezmon Briscoe Kansas
WR Golden Tate Notre Dame
WR/RB Chris Brown Oklahoma

Team #2

QB Colt McCoy Texas
RB Jahvid Best Cal
RB C. J. Spiller Clemson
WR Dez Bryant OK St.
WR Jordan Shipley Texas
WR/RB Jacquizz Rodgers Oregon State

The 2009 NFL season starts tomorrow so I thought I would update my top 10 fantasy footballers article. Below are my top 10 websites/twitter pages for fantasy football info to help you stay informed and win your leagues this year.

Good luck to all and stay tuned for weekly features on my blog throughout the season!

1. @daverichard- Dave Richard- one of the first weekly Fantasy Football writers on the league's official web site back in 2001. NFL stat predictor and talent evaluator for cbssportsline.com since 2005. One of the best around, you can check out his columns here http://www.cbssports.com/columns/writers/richard.

2. @movethesticks- Daniel Jeremiah, former player for Appalachain State and former NFL scout for the Ravens and the Browns. Now the self-proclaimed “one and only twitter scout”. Dude is stacked with tons of useful info. If you call yourself a fantasy footballer you need to check him out…seriously…now.

3. @fftoolbox- One of my favorite fantasy football websites. They have tons of free features on their site like 3rd year receivers, running backs +29, strength of schedule and much more for your drafts. They also write very useful articles weekly to help you on the waiver wire and with your starting lineup.

4. @Joe_Bryant – Owner of footballguys.com. Check out the new rate my team feature and other awesome free features on their site http://bit.ly/aiC0j.

5. @fantasyplayers- a directory of NFL players along with comments from their members below about projections and fantasy relevant updates. A really handy site to reference when you have questions about specific players on your team.

6. @fantasy2- Original new site that in a quest to find the real fantasy experts has allowed it’s members to pick position by position each week. Their formula allows them to find who’s who in the fantasy realm.

7. @fantasycrowd1- A new site positioning themselves as the facebook of fantasy sports. Create a profile, update your status, read the blogs, make a comment, create a league, talk trash with other fantasy players of your caliber, get a draft kit, live support Sunday mornings…pretty much everything you need in one spot if you’re a fantasy sports enthusiast.

8. @vote4parag- a self-proclaimed “average guy” however “avid fantasy football fan”. He has proven himself to be very knowledgeable and definitely worth a follow. He's also known to send many useful Follow Friday shoutouts. I found out about movethesticks and fyifootballplay through Parag. Check out his blog too http://tr.im/mS5Z.

9. @mikepera- Owner and Creator of FantasyDraftTools.com. A tool that helps league commissioners organize their draft much easier. Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Hockey Draft Tool / Cheatsheet.

10. @commishchick- Fantasy Football and NFL news straight from local sources around the USA. She shares her info used to beat the boys at their own game.

Honorable Mentions:

@fyifootballplay- all kinds of injury updates and player status news.

@marcellasurra- Fantasygirl for fantasysmarts.com. Her secret weapon for Fantasy Football: “Simple: consistent players and waiver wire research.”

@ffcalculator- Gives updated average draft positions weekly with data from thousands of drafts and color-coded so it’s easy to read. They also have a Lineup Calculator to find who to start/sit, analyze trades, and find free agents with. Instantly see if a trade will improve or hurt your team. Check out their blog for more info http://fantasyfootballcalculator.com/blog/.

@ffootball- Hourly updates about everything from 09’ team outlooks, to who’s missing OTA’s, to who is trying the wildcat offense and even a glimpse of Michael Vick’s new life…yeah they’re on top of things.

@bigtroph- free fantasy football logo creator

Bonus Top 10 NFL Players on Twitter

1. Larry Fitzgerald @lfitzgerald11

2. Terrell Owens @terrellowens81

3. Matt Forte @chitownforte22

4. Steve Slaton @thadoubles

5. Steven Jackson @sj39

6. Shawne Merriman @shawnemerriman

7. Mark Sanchez @mark_sanchez

8. Matt Hasselbeck @matthewhass008

9. Chris Cooley @thecooleyzone

10. Champ Bailey @champbailey

There seems to be a trend of firing offensive coordinator’s and a couple teams that still haven’t named their starting quarterbacks yet. Wouldn’t be shocked if none of the teams in these situations (Buffalo, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Detroit) end up being a “surprise team” this year.

Buffalo- fire their offensive coordinator.

Cincinnati- The big OT Andre Smith finally signs and then…two days later fractures a bone in his foot in a non-contact drill. He will miss the first week of the season and after that is not sure yet. With a big guy like him this could be a lingering injury, something to keep an eye on.

Chicago- Kevin Jones is out for the year after injuring his ankle in the final pre-season game. Forte’s fantasy value goes up even more now. Bears expect CB Charles Tillman to be ready for season opener.

Cleveland- Still haven’t named a starting quarterback.

Dallas- Felix Jones may get some more touches around the goal line per The Dallas Morning News.

Denver- Kyle Orton is questionable for the start of the season. Knowshon Moreno is practicing and probable for season opener.

Detroit- Still haven’t named a starting quarterback. Doesn’t look like Stafford has played well enough to earn the starting spot yet. Kicker Jason Hanson is “progressing well” and hopeful for season opener.

Houston- Steve Slaton to lose short-yardage and goal line carries to Chris Brown http://www.fftoolbox.com/football/nfl_news.cfm?news_id=609. Rex Grossman throws for 197 yards and two touchdowns in their final pre-season game.

Jacksonville-Maurice Jones-Drew suffers a shin contusion in final pre-season game. He is listed as questionable to week 1 but will not miss any significant time due to the injury.

Kansas City- fire their offensive coordinator.

Philadelphia- Vick plays extensively is final pre-season game. Doesn’t put up great numbers but shows flashes of explosiveness. He will be eligible to play in week 3.

Minnesota- Favre gets a $10,000 fine for his illegal block against Eugene Wilson in the Houston game.

New England- continue to take advantage of the lowly Oakland Raiders. First they get Randy Moss for next to nothing and now they trade their aging defensive lineman Richard Seymour for a 2011 first round draft choice which will most likely be very valuable lottery pick.

New Orleans- Pierre Thomas says he questionable for season opener vs. the Lions with a sprained MCL.

N.Y. Jets- Sanchez looks great going 5-5 with a touchdown on his only drive of the game.

San Diego- LT gets motivated by comments from Jim Brown http://www.fftoolbox.com/football/nfl_news.cfm?news_id=605.

Tampa Bay- fire their offensive coordinator.

With fantasy drafts around the corner, sleepers are always a hot topic because if you can get some of your late round draft picks to pan out or get a great value for an underrated player it can make the difference between a championship and watching the playoffs from the sideline again.

Here are some tips on how to identify sleepers:

1) Contract year players- sometimes we feel that players should just play at their best all the time, but reality is when they are playing for a contract they almost always play better. There is a great list of contract year players from fftoolbox, some of my personal favorites this year are Ronnie Brown, Phillip Rivers, LenDale White, Vincent Jackson and DeMeco Ryans if you're an IDPer.

2) Addition/Loss of key players- When a key player from the previous year leaves or retires somebody has to fill those shoes. If it is a player that few know about, has not played much or is a rookie then that player will drop due to risk factors. However, if you pay attention to pre-season football, know the systems and do your homework, you may be able to pick up on some good finds. For example, I was just watching some of the Panthers vs. Giants pre-season game and noticed that Eli Manning was targeting Mario Manningham quite often. Obviously the Giants are trying to find somebody to replace Plax and Eli will have to throw to somebody, looks like Manningham could have some potential along with Steve Smith, so I will definitely monitor this situation. Also keep an eye on players that could benefit from key off-season additions, especially offensive line upgrades which effect the whole offense like Jason Peters in Philadelphia and Orlando Pace in Chicago.

3) Players coming off injury or 2 years removed from major surgery- Tom Brady won’t fly under anybody’s radar this year, but players like Felix Jones, Darren McFadden and Ronnie Brown will all most likely be undervalued by your commerades because of injuries last season. This is where it comes in handy to know your opponents. For example, if you’re picking out of the 10 or 11 spot in a 12-team draft and have your eye on one of those players coming off injury, if you know that your opponent picking after you had one of those guys last year, you can risk laying off on them on your first pick and be pretty confident that they will be there on the come-around because they won’t want to be disappointed two years in a row by the same player.

4) Players who came on at the end of last year i.e. Kevin Smith and Cedric Benson. Teams that are out of the playoffs will test some things out at the end of the year. If you were paying attention or if you go back and look at some of the stats, you may not be able to get a real good read on the player but maybe just enough of a glimpse to take a well-calculated risk that could pay off big time for you.

How much weight you’d like to give each of these factors is up to you but I would rank them in the order that I have listed them. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other tips as well!

Looking forward to watching the Hall of Fame game today I thought I would compile some news and notes from training camps for your guys collected from fyifootballplay, fftoolbox and CBS Sports.

Atlanta

Roddy White gets 6 year $50 million contract extension.

Carolina

Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams dinged his lower leg toward the end of practice Friday and was looked at by trainers on the table. Williams apparently hurt his toe running through the line, but coach John Fox said Williams is fine per CBS Sports.

Cleveland

QB Brady Quinn outperformed Derek Anderson at the Browns' intrasquad scrimmage Sunday morning.

Chicago

LB Brian Urlacher looks like he is getting his second wind. He has picked off Jay Cutler twice in intrasquad scrimmages.

Jay Cutler has favored Olsen, Bennett and Hester in two-minute drills per the Chicago Redeye.

Devin Hester to focus more on receiving.

Denver

Knowson finally signs and fans do not like Orton already who threw two interceptions in a recent practice. It's visibly obvious that WR Eddie Royal is stronger in his arms and chest this season.

Detroit

Lions insider Tom Kowalski says there is no question the Stafford will win the Lions starting quarterback positions. LB Julian Peterson says the even as a rookie Stafford is way ahead of the curve. Btw, a friendly rivalry has developed between Petersen and Foote who played their college ball at Michigan State and Michigan respectively per Kowalski as well.

Jacksonville

QB David Garrard hasn't looked especially sharp in drills.

Kansas City

According to writer Kent Babb, RB Jamaal Charles "really has been one of the Chiefs' more impressive players so far."

New York Giants

WR Hakeem Nicks revealed he is at 202 pounds, down significantly from the 212 to 215 pounds he played at in college.

New York Jets

Sanchez taking snaps with the first team.

New Orleans

RB Pierre Thomas lined up at QB during some wildcat formations in practice recently with Drew Brees at receiver…they are apparently just trying it out.

Philiadelphia

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has hyperextended his right knee in practice. Jackson fell awkwardly Saturday after getting tangled up with cornerback Asante Samuel during a full-squad drill. The second-year pro walked the length of the field with head trainer Rick Burkholder before being carted to the locker room. Jackson was able to put weight on his leg after practice, but the knee was heavily wrapped per CBS Sports.

Rookie WR Jeremy Maclin will get the bulk of the punt and kick return chances in the Eagles preseason opener.

Pittsburgh

Veteran WR Shaun McDonald is also getting a look from the Steelers as a punt returner.

OLB and reigning defensive player of the year LB James Harrison says his body fat is down two percent from last season.

St. Louis

WR Donnie Avery has X-rays for a sore foot that sidelined him on Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage.

San Diego

Tomlinson is campaigning for Chargers to use him and Sproles on the field together more often.

San Franscisco

Crabtree still holding out. His financial advisor and cousin David Wells stated to ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap that he his prepared to sit out the whole season and re-enter the 2010 NFL draft. Crabtree’s agent has said that this is not the case and that he prefers to negotiate in private.

As much as I’d like to tell Michael to get his ass to camp and his “advisor” to shut up, they do kinda have a case. Word is that the 49ers are not matching what Heyward-Bey of the Raiders got. Crabtree is obviously the better talent...personally I think the problem is that the NFL needs to do something about these outrageous rookie contracts.

Seattle

Seahawks agree to deal with No. 4 overall pick Aaron Curry.

Believe it or not the hall of fame game is only a couple weeks away on Sunday August 9th, which kicks off the NFL pre-season and season for that matter. The Class of 2009 includes Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, Ralph Wilson, Jr., and Rod Woodson.

I know everybody is stoked so here’s a look at some upcoming events leading to the start of the regular season and some news and notes about what will be different this year.

1. Hall of Fame game Sunday Aug. 9th, Bills vs. Titans about 3 weeks.

2. Bears at Broncos Sunday Aug 30th. Bronco fans won’t have to wait long to boo their former quarterback. This is the prime time game during the most important and last tune up for the regular season…should be a good one.

3. Your Fantasy Draft- you may have multiple drafts to look forward to but they should all occur on or after the 3rd preseason game. To have a fair draft the preseason preparations should be completely done so that nobody’s fantasy season will not be ruined by drafting a key player who gets seriously injured in preseason (i.e. Michael Vick 03’, Clinton Portis 06’).

4. Season opener, Tennessee at Pittsburgh Thursday Sept. 10…nuff said.

5. Monday night double-header season opener- Brady’s return Monday Sept. 14th Bills at Pats. Jon Gruden will be joining Tirico and “Jaws” this year, taking over for Tony Kornheiser.

Of course there will be no more John Madden this year either, although his ever-famous Madden 2010 video game will be released August 14th. I’m just hoping that Frank Caliendo keeps doing imitations of him…the first time I heard it I was listening to him on a local sports radio station and had to pull over to the side of the road I was laughing so hard.

Which leads me to my Super Bowl predictions for 2009. I’m gonna go with the Eagles vs. the Patroits, with the Pats coming out on top. Good luck in all your fantasy leagues, don’t forget you can sign up for a free league at http://www.fantasycrowd.com.

In the coming months I’m sure you’ll hear a lot about studs, duds and sleepers. Here is a list of players that really don’t fall into any of those categories. These are solid players currently going in the mid rounds that if you’re aware of can allow you to be much more confident in the early rounds. You can then take advantage of the best players available because you’ll know what to expect in the rounds to come and won’t draft simply based on need. Although these aren’t all big-name players, targeting these guys in the mid-rounds can change your entire draft strategy and the results you see significantly.

Running Backs

1. Cedric Benson- a new tackle and veteran weapons around him. The Bengals have put in new zone and man blocking schemes to accommodate his North-South running style and were pleasantly surprised with his speed on sweeps per John Clayton’s inside the huddle. Seems primed to take advantage of a great opportunity in a resurgent offense and will be the lone featured back. He’s being drafted any where between rounds 4-8, excellent value in the 6th and later.

2. Derrick Ward- although Brandon Jacobs wearing defenses down and the Giants great offensive line had a lot to do with Ward’s success in New York , he did still manage to put up over 1,000 yards as part of a 3-headed monster. The Bucs pretty much cleaned house in the off-season and are looking for a fresh start. I think Ward is clearly the most talented and reliable of the backs in Tampa Bay and I would look for him to outperform his current ADP of 54th overall.

3. LenDale White- is 20 pounds lighter and coming into a contract year. The Titans are probably not going to be as good this year without Albert Haynesworth and Tennessee would like to expand Chris Johnson’s role, but he still scores a lot (22 times in the last two years, 15 times last year). Johnson’s size is an issue and he did get injured in last year’s playoff game. All in all, at 71 overall ADP he is a great value especially in scoring leagues.

4. Rashard Mendenhall- will get a chance on short yardage and goaline opportunities for one of the best franchises around. His shoulder is healed, he has fresh legs and I would expect the Steelers to use him much more especially in the second half of the season when the wheels tend to fall off for fast Willie Parker. Current ADP is 97th overall so keep an eye out for him in rounds 9 and higher.

Quarterbacks

5. Donovan McNabb- the Eagles really took care of their star this off-season with a new contract, drafting multiple assets on offense and trading for a stud left tackle. Plus, I still don’t think Donovan has forgot about when Andy Reid benched him last year. He could really make a savvy owner’s team in the 6th round where is currently being drafted.

6. Matt Schaub- a low-end no. 1 quarterback being picked in the mid rounds 6-8. He filled in nicely for me last year when Houston played Detroit and Cincinnati back-to-back before getting injured. Has potential to break out with a great surrounding cast. He was 5th in points per game at quarterback per Chris Dowling of footballguys.com, and like Chris says his value comes down to if he can stay healthy.

7. Tony Romo- people might sleep on him because he no longer has T.O and Dallas is expected to shift to a more run oriented offense. However, I read an intriguing comment from Carson Palmer in a radio interview recently about how much Jon Kitna really helped him during his best years so far. Don’t forget he still has one of the best tight end’s and offensive lines in the game. I’d expect him to start a little slower but end much stronger due to the lack of drama without T.O. and extra guidance from Kitna this year to provide solid stats for his current ADP of 59th overall.

Wide Receivers

8. OchoCinco- hampered by injury and losing his quarterback last year. Most people just don’t like him or are tired of hearing about his antics but the fact is that he should have a much better year in 09’. If he slips past the fourth round be prepared to pull the trigger.

9. Bernard Berrian- now that Favre is officially with the Vikings, his stock should steadily rise. Although Minnesota won’t live and die by Brett’s gunslinger style likes teams in his past, I will still expect him to air it out enough for Berrian to be a great look in the mid rounds 6-8 as a WR3 with potential for solid WR 2 numbers or a solid flex play. I mentioned him in my article titled “The Favre effect” as the biggest beneficiary of the signing as well.

10. Anthony Gonzalez- probably the most overlooked 3rd year receiver this year. The Colts still have a legit no. 1 even without Harrison, a tier 1 tight end in Dallas Clark, not to mention Peyton Manning. Peyton trusted him in clutch situations last year so he’s not going to shy away from giving Gonzo more targets. Currently going in the late 5th which is little high for me but still definitely somebody to keep an eye on.

Savvy gm’s will have their eyes on these players who have awesome potential and value based on where they are being ranked currently. These are the players that the less informed will be scared to draft because they don’t know enough about them.

For example, last year the owners that took a risk on Michael Turner, rookie running backs Matt Forte and Chris Johnson and using a flier in the late rounds on Kurt Warner ended up very pleased.

Again I’ll be drafting from the middle of the pack for 12 rounds:

1. Deangelo Williams- breakout year in 08, led all rb’s in td’s and didn’t fumble once. The drafting of Jonathon Stewart motivated the third year back last year and he is going into the last year of his contract…nuff said.

2. Steve Slaton- I’ve seen him ranked in the top 5 and outside of the top 20. I would be thrilled to get him in the mid second. He has the potential to carry a team, especially in a PPR league. No committees to deal with here, playing with one of the best receivers in the game to keep defenses honest, speed, pass-catching ability and pure potential.

3. Dwayne Bowe- He should benefit from playing with a better quarterback in Cassell and having more experience himself coming into his third year where receivers notoriously breakout. Bowe has it all with great hands, size and speed. Also new Chiefs head coach Todd Haley was the OC in Arizona last year so you know he’s not afraid to throw the ball, however Bowe has come to camp 20-25 lbs overweight per his coach and rotoworld.com http://tr.im/oJNC so that is something to keep an eye on.

4. Aaron Rodgers- a year removed from the Favre saga, 1 year under his belt, remember he spent 3 years learning and waiting…had great #’s last year but needed to make more good decisions in 4th quarter. Remember he did most of this with a slightly separated shoulder and even rushed for 4 touchdowns too. I’d expect him to come in with a lot of confidence this year and continue his success.

5. Darren McFadden- blazing speed, hampered by injury last year. Cable likes to run and he should have every opportunity to prove himself this year. Probably will be taken by mid-fifth round, but still might be able to get him in the early portion of the fifth.

6. Antonio Bryant- I picked him in the CBS Mock Draft I did with Dave Richard earlier this month in the fifth round. Really liked what he was able to do at the end of last year. I think Leftwich will win the starting qb job in Tampa and provide a much bigger arm than Jeff Garcia did. The addition of Kellen Winslow should draw attention and help open things up for him as well.

7. Eddie Royal- a pretty impressive rookie year but I think most people will sleep on him since he no longer has Cutler as his quarterback. Orton should be able to get him the ball well enough, he is a good route-runner with exceptional speed. With Brandon Marshall requesting a trade now his value is only increasing.

8. Greg Olsen- I’ve mentioned him a couple times and he was also recently featured in an article by ESPN’s John Clayton about 10 young offensive players who could hit it big in 09’ http://tr.im/ouEn. I’d love to get him here.

9. Donnie Avery- inconsistent last year but showed flashes of brilliance. Definitely worth a shot in the later rounds. Will be more valuable playing at home on the turf, but has a great opportunity to put up numbers in the NFC West.

10. Leon Washington- He’s ended his holdout and I’d expect his contract situation to be resolved by time the season starts. Ryan will run much more this year. This is a transition year for the Jets running game with Thomas Jones toward the tail end of his career and rookie Greene not quite there yet. Washington should be involved in many short passes to get Sanchez more confidence, giving him many opportunities for big plays. Especially valuable in PPR league’s.

11. Green Bay Defense- switching to the 3-4. Had a great draft in my opinion getting B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews to go along with an already good group of linebackers of A. J Hawk, Nick Barnett and Aaron Kampman will now be playing on the outside. Older in the secondary but Woodson and Harris showed they can still play last year.

12. Stephen Gostkowski- if Tom Brady can stay healthy and they return to anywhere near their 07’ form, he will be the most coveted kicker.

If this ended up being my team I would be thrilled. Every player would be great value in the round he was chosen in, if not steals. In a PPR league that starts a flex this team would be very strong, with my strengths being pass-catching rb’s. If I had to depend on my receivers I would be a little less confident. What do you think?

Every year I seem to draft with somebody who doesn’t do any homework at all and basically drafts his team based on what he saw in 08’ or years past. You’ll probably see him picking up a fantasy magazine on the way to the draft and asking everybody a million questions during the draft about who is on what team now, who is injured and other things of that nature. On one hand it’s good because you know they will miss opportunities only drafting players they are comfortable with. On the other hand, you know this will be the first guy to start talking trash if somehow his team gets off to a hot start and he really has no idea what he’s doing. I guess that’s one of the reasons this game is so popular.

If you are one of those people, congratulations on making the effort to do some research this year, you might want to check out some player rankings and my other blog entries as well. As a matter of fact, I would prefer that you go there now, this article will only help you slack even more.

Here’s a quick rundown of what the slacker’s team might look like this year for all you real gm's out there based on current player rankings, mock drafts and who I feel should be available. For the sake of time I just choose to pick 6th because it’s in the middle and to only have 12 rounds:

1. LT- although he’s going in the 2nd round of most expert drafts, this guy still thinks he’s a top 3 value.

2. Clinton Portis- may actually provide good value in the second round but he’s just picking him because he knows Clinton plus the only strategy he’s ever heard is RB RB is the first two rounds, so he’s probably missing out here.

3. Steve Smith- again, just picking a player he knows and filling a position of need.

4. Terrell Owens- hears about him every day in the news, always slips down draft boards because of the gamble associated with his personality but doesn’t stop this guy from taking him.

5. Jay Cutler- here is where he really starts getting hurt. Picks Jay Cutler to fill a need and because he’s heard all about him being traded to the Bears. He really loses out with much better value available for quarterbacks in my opinion.

6. Chad Johnson- hasn’t been in camp all year but this guy is shocked he’s still available. Tons of other huge potential like Lee Evans, Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson but he knows Ocho Cinco therefore he plays it safe.

7. Darren Sproles- I may be giving him a little too much credit here backing up his #1 pick with a fairly solid value in the 7th round.

8. Kellen Winslow- knows he needs a TE so picks Winslow despite the risk…might actually be good value here though.

9. Torry Holt – here is where savvy players really take advantage of guys that don’t know what they’re doing. Missing out on more huge potential like Felix Jones, Donnie Avery or Anthony Gonzalez who might be available but they have no clue.

10. Philadelphia Defense- an older defense that lost Brian Dawkins, not the greatest value here.

11. Matt Hasselback- picks a backup qb instead of investing in another rb.

12. David Akers- picks a kicker and defense on the same team. Not a real big deal but I never liked it because if you’re defense is playing well, the team will probably be winning and the offense will have more of a tendency to run the ball and score less. Also too many players on the same team puts you at risk of being inconsistent due to poor matchups, especially in a tough division like the NFC East.

So as you can see the team is pretty old and injury prone. Also, not much potential here, you’re basically hoping that these players can keep putting up the same numbers. They almost always end up picking players based on where they are and not what they could become...that is what fantasy fooball is all about, especially toward the later rounds. Finding those players that have high ceilings and potential, but you'll only know of those players if you do your homework.

Like the old adage goes, "not preparing is preparing to fail". Well, I guess there’s always the waiver wire. Keep an eye out for my all potential team coming out next.

These two coveted rookie quarterbacks will be forever linked as being the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2009 NFL Draft. Only time will tell who will end up being the best, however I believe one has a distinctive advantage already…

One can only imagine the amount of pressure and responsibility these two young men have on their shoulders. Once you get past the hype and the big contracts there is a much bigger task at hand…earning the respect of the locker room.

There are many examples of young quarterbacks not earning the respect of their teammates. A classic example is one Joey Harrington. Just never fit in and established himself as one of the boys in Detroit. His nickname was “champagne Joey” and his piano playing performance didn’t help much either. I actually had the pleasure of sitting next to him at a Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox game in 2005. He had his hat very low, talked with my friends and I a bit with a little cockiness but the most surprising thing of the whole experience…He came by HIMSELF.

At the time I really respected him for it and still do knowing how much the Detroit fans hated him at the time. However, it spoke volumes about his relationships with his teammates in my opinion. I mean the starting quarterback of an NFL team couldn’t get one other guy to go with him to the baseball game? The funny thing is that he did say some of the other guys were on the way but they never showed. Not a shocker that a guy like this wouldn’t succeed at leading a professional football team. He is now the third string quarterback in New Orleans and recently had this to say about Detroit when asked last year in the week 16 game against the Lions about their performance in 2008:

“Yeah, I guess I was here in their heyday”

I guess he can laugh now, but the point is that Harrington’s inability to win over the locker room had a big effect on his performance. So now the question is; out of Stafford and Sanchez, who seems to be gaining the respect of their teammates quicker? Without question the answer is Matthew Stafford.

A photo shoot and a couple pictures from a Nascar outing at Talladega have made all the difference in the image of these two youngsters. While Sanchez is posing for GQ looking like a Baywatch lifeguard, Stafford is keepin' it real with a backwards hat, cut-off shirt and a keg over his head. Ironically, pictures that got him in trouble while he was in college at Georgia are helping his image in the eyes of his teammates in the NFL.

I first heard about these pics of Stafford a while ago but Tom “The Killer” Kowalski wrote a good article for mlive.com recently about how these pictures are earning Stafford respect in the locker room:

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2009/06/tom_kowalski_on_wbbl_controver.html

By the way, Stafford’s teammates are not the only one’s who are gaining his respect. Check out what his new head coach Jim Schwartz had to say about him recently:

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2009/06/jim_schwartz_matthew_staffords.html

At Jets camp things are a bit different. Jets kicker Jay Feely wrote on his twitter page recently “Should be another fun day for our boy Sanchez today … GQ photo shoot came out and he is taking heat!!!” Feely wrote earlier, “Sanchez was a common target from the moment he introduced himself.”

So, will these two be compared with Vince Young and Matt Leinart or more with Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco? My guess is somewhere in between, but Stafford has the early edge and the potential to break out to a point where he will not even be linked with Sanchez very much anymore.

Sanchez reminds me all to much of Harrington and they even played in the same weak defensive conference, the Pac 10. I’m not saying that Sanchez will be a complete bust like Harrington, but I’m not saying he’s the next Joe Nameth either. Don’t underestimate the value of fitting in with your teammates and the effect that their image will have on the young quarterbacks performance. The fantasy value may not be there for either of these guys yet, however their fates could be pre-determined by their teammates already.