The Sports Rumors

Fantasy Football Rankings: WR’s, TE’s, Kickers, and Defenses

As promised, here are my 100% on point, take-it-to-the-bank fantasy rankings 1-5 for the remaining positions. (Scroll down to see the QB and RB rankings from yesterday). Below are the Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Kickers, and Defenses that you need to take a look at for your upcoming draft. I’m going to hold off on releasing my 6-30 rankings for each of the positions until after Saturday afternoon because that is when my draft is, and since a lot of the managers in my league read this site regularly, I can’t give away my position on players. So check this out for now, then Saturday night you’ll have the rest of my comprehensive rankings.

Wide Receivers: The heart breakers. They’ll either save you or kill you.

My Top Five

1. Steve Smith – Played 14 games last year and had 83 catches with 8 touchdowns. Would have probably ended up with 90 or so catches with 9 or 10 touchdowns had he not missed two games. The MVP of the Panthers who I predicted to win the NFC South. Take him to the bank.
2. Marvin Harrison – Mr.Consistency still has Peyton throwing the ball last I checked. The added third receiver, Anthony Gonzalez,  should mean less attention and doubles on Marvin and we all know how he’s Peyton’s go to guy inside the 20.
3. Tory Holt – I don’t get how this guy doesn’t get the hype that some of the other WRs do. He’s got an arguably top 5 quarterback in Bulger. And I mean, he only had 12, 10, 9 and 10 touchdowns while averaging 1400 yards the past four seasons.. But go ahead and pick Chad Johnson or TO ahead of him and see how many points dancing in the endzone gets you. Give me Holt all day.
4. T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Clearly the sexy pick of this year’s draft.  However, you can’t look past what he’s done the past two years.  He had 90 receptions, 1081 yards, and 9 touchdowns in 14 games last year. As popular as Chad Johnson is, it’s starting to look like Palmer counts on T.J. Who’s Your Mama more during crunch time.
5. Roy Williams – If you have some stones and are a guy who loves to risk for high rewards, take Williams high this year. He had 82 catches, 1310 yards and 7 touchdowns last year and had 8 touchdowns the two years prior. Realize that, and try not to laugh, the Lions will be better this year and Williams should get a lot more open looks with Calvin Johnson lined up on the other side. I predict another 80 plus catch season with 1400+ yards and 10 touchdowns. Be a man and draft him ahead of other popular names.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Chad Johnson, T.O., Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne

You’d be an idiot to pick: Marcus Colston ahead of Randy Moss.

Yahoo’s Top 5 Rankings: Steve Smith, Marvin Harrison, T.O., Tory Holt, Chad Johnson

Tight Ends: (Yawn) Boring.

My Top Five

1. Antonio Gates – No need for an explanation
2. Tony Gonzalez – Will be Brodie Croyle’s best friend this year in the passing game.
3. Todd Heap – Baltimore wins with defense, running the ball, and short dump off passes to Todd Heap. Solid as always.
4. Chris Cooley – With Moss and Randle El spreading the field, Cooley will get plenty of looks with a first time starter Jason Campbell at the helm. He already had one great preseason game.  Look for a career year from Capn Chaos.
5. Jeremy Shockey – I hate the guy but he gives you consistent numbers year after year. Giants will be terrible this year but Eli looks for Shockey first; always.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Jason Witten (hard to leave him off the top 5), Vernon Davis, Dallas Clark, Ben Watson

You’d be an idiot to pick: Alge Crumpler.

Yahoo’s Top 5 Rankings: Gates, Heap, Gonzalez, Cooley, Shockey.

Kickers: Easiest picks of the draft.

My Top Five

1. Adam Vinatieri – Colts score a lot. Vinatieri doesn’t miss a lot. Good mix.
2. Nate Kaeding – Chargers score a lot. Kaeding doesn’t miss unless its clutch time. Fairly good mix.
3. Shayne Graham – Bengals score a lot… You get the idea.
4. Jeff Wilkins – Repeat.
5. David Akers – I have him higher than most. With Dmac back in healthy form, Philly should put up some numbers this year. Red zone offense won’t be good because Westbrook can’t run between the tackles worth a dime so look for a lot of short field goals.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Robbie Gould (Let Grossman pass in the redzone or kick a field goal? Kick a field goal), Jason Elam, Josh Brown

You’d be an idiot to pick: Sebastian Janakowski because Oakland ain’t scoring jack

Yahoo’s Top 5 Rankings: Vinatieri, Kaeding, Graham, Gould, Wilkins

Defenses – Can turn a mediocre fantasy team into a contender quick.

My Top Five

1. New England – This is a risky ranking by me to put them first but all I know is this: The Pats offense is going to dominate. That means that teams are going to fall behind early against them and will be forced to pass. That presents lots of opportunities for a smart defense to make plays. I like them better than Chicago this year.
2. San Diego – Just like the Pats, their offense will be nasty again. An opportunistic defense with a great offense spells trouble for teams.
3. Baltimore – I don’t need to say anything about a team with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed on it.
4. Miami – Porter, Zach Thomas, and Jason Taylor putting pressure upfront? Good luck scoring on an already established defense.
5. Washington – Hell yeah I said Washington. Don’t forget that their defense was a top three unit just two years ago. Adding London Fletcher to the middle and Laron Landry to go alongside Sean Taylor, plus adding depth at corner? That adds up to a solid defense. I saw them play in preseason and it looks to be the blitz happy, hard hitting Skins’ of a few years ago. A bit of a homer pick but don’t be surprised if they’re wreaking havoc come the start of the season.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Chicago (If their offense wasn’t a joke, I’d have them number one. But because I see a lot of three and outs in the future of the Bears offense, the defense will be out for long stretches of time. Fatigue will be a factor eventually. Still a solid and safe pick though.), Pittsburgh (Mike Tomlin knows his x’s and o’s), Dallas (Tons of talent)

You’d be an idiot to pick: The Giants. Hahaha the Giants. They’re going to be terrible and I’m going to love watching every minute of it.

Yahoo’s Top 5 Rankings: Chicago, Baltimore, New England, San Diego, Miami

(Capn’ Chaos. How can you not draft this guy high. Click link for story.)

Vick, Florida QB’s, and 59 Year Old College Linebacker??

The Fan vs The Athlete page has its first discussion posted. Click either the link here or on the one beneath the title bar that says “The Fan vs The Athlete”. It’s not complicated. Enjoy!

Fantasy Football Rankings: RB’s and WR’s, 1-5

Its fantasy football season folks! Hopefully by now, all of you are in a league. If you are not in one by now and are still stubborn enough to not join the fad, you’re missing out buddy. There is still time to join a public league on yahoo so hop to it.

Now for my well rounded sports fans who already are in intense leagues with their coworkers, college buddies, or random people off the street… this column is for you.

I’ll give you my expert rankings on each position…even though I’m not qualified to be an expert of any sort quite frankly, and even though you can find 10,000 rankings online elsewhere. But since you’re made the choice to come to this site, you might as well check the rankings and praise me when you’re team is 7-1 courtesy of me.

Here’s what you need to know:

Runningbacks: The most important position in fantasy by far.

My Top Five

1. L.T. – No surprises here. He’ll see an even higher load this year and look for him to be used even more as a pass catching back than last year. Lock for the number one pick.
2. Larry Johnson – Yahoo has Steven Jackson as the second rated back and I laugh at that. Herman Edwards knows two things; Run the ball and play defense…and that YOU PLAY, TO WIN, THE GAME… so he knows three things. Larry Johnson is going to be a beast again this year; make no mistake about it.
3. Shaun Alexander – Yeah he had an injury riddled season last year but Holmgren needs to feed this monster the ball 25 times a game to get back as a contender and believe me, he will.
4. Steven Jackson – Hard nosed runner who’s tough to bring down and has a knack for the endzone. Really boring to me but great fantasy pick.
5. Rudi Johnson – Cinci will not have another bad year like last years. They are one of the highest scoring clubs in the league and Rudi loves to punch it in from inside the ten. Look for big numbers from him again this year.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Travis Henry (because his health is a concern), Joseph Addai, Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook (Mcnabb is back which means good things for B-brook)

You’d be an idiot to pick: Reggie Bush higher than 10.

Yahoo’s Top 5 Rankings: LT, Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Joseph Addai, Shawn Alexander.

Quarterbacks: More overrated than Eva Longoria…

1. Peyton Manning – He has a third wideout again which means trouble for defenses. Look for a 35-40 touchdown passing season following last year’s 31, with two WRs.
2. Carson Palmer – I’m so high on Palmer this year. I GUARANTEE a 33 touchdown passing season.
3. Tom Brady – Yes I know Drew Brees had a great year last year but I don’t forsee that happening again and Brady is as solid and consistent as they come. Oh, and they have Randy TD Moss now too. That might help.
4. Donovan Mcnabb – In case you forgot, he was having an MVP season before he got hurt. He won’t get hurt again this year. Take him to the bank.
5. Marc Bulger – Solid and consistent. Plus he has Torry Holt and Steven Jackson.

Almost Top 5 but not quite: Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo

You’d be an idiot to pick: Vince Young higher than 10.

Yahoo’s Top Five: Peyton, Palmer, Brees, Brady, Bulger

Tomorrow I’ll have rankings 6-15 for each position…

Look for the top five wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and defenses later today.

My Conclusion on Michael Vick

This is probably the last time I am going to address this situation, but since it has all but reached the final stages, I feel like it is a good time to express my opinions on the matter. Michael Vick went to my alma mater, Virginia Tech. He was the biggest star we ever had step foot on campus. He brought my University into the top tier of football programs and helped bring in all types of positive attention. Because of Michael Vick, my alma mater brought in great college athletes and future pros like Kevin Jones and DeAngelo Hall. Naturally, I was a huge Vick fan in college, and took my allegiance with him by cheering for him as a Falcon. I loved everything about the guy; his style, his demeanor, his new-age hip-hop type of quarterback that was unprecedented. I am still a Michael Vick fan, but a greatly disappointed one.

When the initial Vick news broke, and it got to the point where he was going to be indicted, I did what any true fan of a player would do. I came to his defense. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, I tried to find some way that I could defend him, some way that I could prove that he wasn’t involved and was oblivious to the whole dog fighting ring. I wanted to find out from some source that he was just a naïve athlete who got taken advantage of by his thug friends from childhood. I knew all along that it was a far fetched scenario, but I held on to it as long as I could. As time passed however, I read more and more about the details of what he was being accused of. I saw more and more corroborating evidence against him that took that glimmer of hope I had of his innocence, and put it out. I don’t think I even thought about the severity and the cruelty of his actions because I was so caught up in trying to make myself believe he was innocent.

I took my two year old lab for a walk and going along a main road near my house here in Virginia, a truck driven by some idiot came awfully close to jumping the curb and without a doubt, striking and probably killing my dog. After that moment of immense anger at the truck driver, I gathered my thoughts. It was then that I realized how innocent and like a child a dog is. That led me to think about the dogs that were executed by Vick and his posse. That’s when the magnitude of his actions really hit me.

Now lets not get it twisted, I’m not PETA activist or animals rights guy. I’ve run over plenty of possums and squirrels in my lifetime so I won’t sit here and preach to you about animals. But what I am saying is the animals that were so brutally executed were innocent creatures who had been starved, caged, and then fought till death for a couple of thousand dollars at a time. How anyone can have the mentality and see the joy in doing something like that is beyond my range of comprehension. It’s the same way I’ll never understand how a man can rape a woman, how someone can strap a bomb to their chest and blowup innocent people in Iraq, or how a crazed college student can go shoot up 32 kids who were in class learning at Virginia Tech. I can’t understand any of that. But I can’t defend someone who has participated in those acts, even if he was one of my favorite athletes of all time. If you still can’t get a sense of the cruelty involved, take a look at this picture, which is graphic. After you get past the initial “ew” phase, look at the dog’s eyes and then look at your own dog’s eyes. Think about it for a minute.

I do feel that Michael Vick deserves jail time after initially thinking he didn’t. I feel that he should spend eight to twelve months in prison, thinking about his actions and thinking about the senseless fun he had. I feel that amount of time would be sufficient for him to reflect, and for his own good and for society’s, he could come out a better human being. Now the exact time he should go is up for debate, depending on who you are. I realize that drug dealers sometimes get 6 months and murders get off the hook with nothing. But we live in a country where the sentences depend on the state, the county, and the judge so there is no real precedent for a situation like this. I feel eight to twelve months is long enough to make a point and teach someone a lesson about something like dog fighting.

All of this considered, I do feel sad for Michael Vick. I don’t feel bad that he’s going to jail because he should. I feel sad for the tragedy that he has made into his life. He came from the gutter; from the ghettoes of Hampton, Virginia. He worked his butt off to become a star and he did at Virginia Tech and Atlanta. He had it all, from the houses, the cars, the fans, everything was in his pocket. He was the true rags to riches story. What’s tragic about this story is that he let it all go down the drain over something as stupid as dog fighting. Now he’s back where a lot of young men from the ghettoes of Hampton, Virginia end up; in jail. That to me is sad. To have so much for which you’ve worked so hard for, and blow it away just like that.

I hope Michael Vick emerges from prison twelve or eighteen months from now a better man; a changed man. I hope that dog fighting, however big of a problem it is (because I don’t know), is eliminated from our society. Most of all, I hope people can learn from this, especially young folks like myself. Appreciate what you have, make wise decisions, and avoid putting yourself in a situation that can hurt yourself and your family. I can guarantee you that’s what Vick will be thinking about in jail.

Vick Returns as 3rd Wideout? Don’t Kid Yourself

I’ve heard a lot of different sports personalities give their opinions and predictions about whether Vick will be back in the NFL after his jail sentence, and to what capacity will he be back. I’ve heard everything from “He’ll never play another down in the NFL again” to “He’ll play in the CFL” to “He’ll be a third wide receiver or a special teams player”. All three of those notions are false. False as can be.

Make no mistake about it; Michael Vick will play quarterback in the NFL as soon as he’s served his time for both the law, and the league. It is dumb to think that he will be a third team wide out or a special teams gunner. Though Vick may not have the speed and agility he once had, and given the fact that he will be around 30 when he plays again, his skills will be somewhat diminished. However, you can’t forget the fact that Vick has a cannon of an arm. The strength of his arm and the ability to launch it 60 yards with the flick of a wrist is better than 95% of the quarterbacks in this league. Just because he’s having legal troubles doesn’t mean we forget about his talent. There is a reason this guy was drafted first overall and there is a reason he was the face of the league; his talent. Say he comes back with less arm strength. It will still be better than the vast majority of starters. Vick is also very accurate when he has spent time studying defenses. There is no question that the number of offensive systems that Vick has gone through, and his lack of Peyton Manning-like studying habits, have lead to him throwing the interceptions he has. But you’ve seen plenty of glimpses of him splitting defenders with throws traveling fast as hell. Speaking of fast, I’m not even going to mention his speed, even two years from now.

I can’t remember who said it, but the comment was that in two years, there will only be a team or two looking for a quarterback. Really? Are you being serious? So you’re telling me that the Jets are secure two years from now at QB? What about the Packers? Is Favre still going to be playing at age 67 or do you really think that Aaron Rodgers is the second coming of Brady? Don’t kid yourself. What about the Giants and Eli? He’s already on a tight leash with the fans. The Jaguars considered signing Daunte Culpepper on one knee and still can’t determine if Leftwich or Gerrard is their starter so go figure about that squad. Then you got the Dolphins with an old Trent Green. Don’t forget that the Dolphins are the same organization that signed Marcus Vick when nobody else would. Of course I have to mention the Raiders just because it’s the Raiders. What if JaMarcus Russell is a complete bust and Vick is available? Al Davis would jump on that faster than Marcus Vick would step on someone’s unprotected knee. Tavaris Jackson in Minnesota over Vick in two years? Please. And lastly, the Washington Redskins. What if Campbell doesn’t work out? Do you think Danny Dan Snyder wouldn’t roll the dice on Vick, who is immensely popular in Virginia regardless of what he does?

So I don’t want to hear about how there won’t be teams interested in Vick. He will play again, maybe not at the all pro level, but definitely as a good, solid quarterback.

Welcome…

Just wanted to welcome all my blog readers from before and new visitors. This site is going to contain:

• Daily columns on relevant sports topics
• Pictures from across the sports world
• Videos relating to sports or comedy
• …And much more as the days go by…

Hope you enjoy!

Today’s Rundown

Nothing too much going on today in the world of sports. Here’s a quick rundown of the things you need to know:

Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson has ended his holdout, which began July 27^th. Johnson has agreed to a six year extension. The exact terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed but they are expected to be less than what Tomlinson got with the Chargers (Johnson wanted money equal to that of L.T.’s).

The Philadelphia Eagles and Coach Andy Reid have released middle linebacker, and fan favorite, Jeremiah Trotter. That’s funny to me because I can’t stand the guy and think he’s one of the most overrated linebackers I’ve ever seen. He was a product of Jimmy Johnson’s system and if you can’t see that by how terribly he played in Washington for two seasons, then you need some football knowledge.

The U.S.A. Basketball team has cut Kevin Durant. This should come as no surprise to anyone. He’s just a 6’9 100-pound rookie. He can’t hang with the Kobe’s and the Amare’s just yet.

And lastly, of course I have to get to this… Michael Vick is expected to hear his official sentence next Monday morning at the downtown Richmond courthouse. Still no word on what the judge is leaning towards ruling. The prosecutors have recommended a sentence of 12-18 months in prison. A lenient judge would go towards 12 months. However, this is not a lenient judge. Expect somewhere closer to the 18 month sentence. What does this do for Vick’s future career, if any? I’ll have a column about that tomorrow.

(Worry not K.C. fans. The Roc is Back.)

Vick Enters Plea

UPDATED: August 20th, 2007 2:59PM EST
Michael Vick will plead guilty shortly. The exact time in jail is not yet known. Some sources say 12-18 months, others say 18-36 months. Details will be released as early as possible.

UPDATED: August 20th, 2007 1:24PM EST
Michael Vick has been offered a deal that would include an 18-36 month prison sentence. Vick’s defense team is working furiously to try and get it less than a year. If Vick is sentenced for the 36 months (3 years), his NFL career will almost certainly be over. If Vick turns down the deal, more charges will be brought forth almost immediately. Stay tuned for updates.

Preseason: A Blessing or a Curse?

I don’t think there is anything sports related out there that I am more on the fence about than preseason. There is nothing more that I want in the hot summer days of July than to turn on TV and watch some football. The preseason brings this relief, even if it’s only a few quarters of quality ball in an entire month. August seems better knowing that football is back, even if it’s just in preseason form. I get excited watching players I’ve never even heard of make big plays in the fourth quarter of game number one. Truth be told, half of them won’t even make the team and will be a distant memory. But I don’t care; its football on TV.

For the second straight preseason however, I felt my heart sink and my chest tighten. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. I felt dizzy and needed water. Well, maybe I wasn’t that bad but I was pretty damn close. My beloved Washington Redskins, (hold your laughter please) almost had their season of high hopes snapped just as quickly as quarterback Jason Campbell’s knee did in an awkward sideways motion. Some lineman from the Steelers launched himself at Campbell’s legs after he had thrown the ball, and it drew a fifteen yard roughing the quarterback penalty. I could feel Campbell’s pain in my knee as I saw him squirm around on the ground as Redskins’ trainers ran onto the field. I saw Joe Gibbs’ face and I knew exactly what he was thinking:

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

All I would have had if Campbell was done for the season was a fifteen yard penalty… in preseason.

For those of you who don’t remember, let me refresh your memory about what happened to the Redskins last preseason. Clinton Portis was chasing down a defender who had either scooped up a fumble or intercepted a pass (don’t remember which it was) and was racing down the sideline for a touchdown. Portis caught up to him and made a great tackle. In the process, he separated his shoulder. He wouldn’t be 100% again for the rest of the season and was eventually placed on IR. Joe Gibbs uses a run-run-run-maybe a pass style of offense. No Portis, no running. No running, no winning. We finished 5-11.

While Campbell was rolling on the ground in pain, the cameras went to a shot of our two backup quarterbacks warming up. Todd Collins and Mark Brunell. Todd Collins’ warm up consisted of watching a video teaching how to throw a football, since he’s played what, two games in his life. Mark Brunell’s warm up consisted of rubbing arthritis cream on his shoulders and parking his wheelchair. I wanted to vomit.

Luckily, Campbell only has a bruised knee and it looked a lot worse than it was. I highly doubt he’ll play another snap in the preseason and I couldn’t be happier. I definitely don’t want Portis, Santana Moss, Sean Taylor, or any of the key linemen out there either. I’m very divided on whether preseason is good or bad. The positives are that young guys can get out there and work for starting jobs. Rocky McIntosh, second year linebacker out of Miami, played superb. The defense as a whole played great. We had no injuries. I felt really confident watching them and it boosted my hopes for a solid regular season. So in that sense, the preseason is good. You get the kinks out and young guys get to shine.

But what happens when you lose your franchise left tackle, or quarterback, or linebacker to injury? Then, is it worth it? I’ve heard people say that you don’t need to play any of your key players during the preseason, but that doesn’t really work either unless you’re Peyton Manning. Say the Redskins didn’t play Campbell all preseason, and come week five of the regular season, he’s starting to pick up after a slow first four games. Everyone will say, “Well, if he had played those four preseason games, he would have been ready to go Game 1,” and there may be some truth to that. The young guys have to get out there and play but the preseason is so risky.

I often hear people suggest that the preseason should be shorter. What does that really do though? If the preseason was two games instead of four, Saturday’s potential injury to Campbell still would have been in game two. Yes I know that less preseason games means less chance of injury but if you want to look at it that way, less practices mean the same thing.

I guess what it really comes down to is what so much of sports is based on; luck. You could sit out all preseason but get a season ending injury game one of the regular season. Or you could get hurt on the first snap in the first preseason game. Luck of the draw controls players’ careers, coaches’ careers, franchises as a whole; and last Saturday night, luck almost led a remote control to go flying through my TV, carrying my hopes of a winning season with it.

(You don’t want to see your starting QB like this, ever)

Credit Given When Deserved

If you’ve been reading my posts for the past few months, or if you know me in person, it is clear that I am no David Beckham fan. You’ve read or heard me go on about how I think he’s more into his image than he is into playing the game at the MLS level. You’ve heard me ridicule him for not rehabbing fast enough, while choosing to spend time getting his pictures taken with Arod and Jeter instead. You’ve read my posts in which I all but call him a phony and a fraud. I’m not going to quickly jump on the bandwagon and change my opinion of him so fast, but I will give him his due.

This past weekend, he was phenomenal. He scored his first goal against D.C. United in thrilling fashion. It made even me, a Beckham-basher if you want to call me that, say, “Wow, that was a hell of a kick.” He followed up that performance with a three assist game which is an example of his playmaking ability. Three assists in one game is like the equivalent of Jason Kidd’s 20 assist performances. Now before you say, “You ARE jumping on the bandwagon”, let me stop you. I never questioned Beckham’s skill or ability. I questioned his motives, which I still do until proven otherwise. But at least I can bring myself to say that he had a hell of a performance this weekend.

That doesn’t change the fact that I think it’s a little too late. The dog days of summer are all but finished. We are now approaching the two most thrilling months in baseball; September and October. We are halfway through the NFL preseason which can only mean one thing; we’re two games closer to Opening Day 2007. If Beckham had these performances earlier on, say in the end of July early August area, I think he would have had a great chance of drawing in more of the casual sports fans. I think that time has passed. Despite his thrilling “Bend it like Beckham” type goal followed by Steve Nash like assists, the news was thirty five minutes into the Sportscenter broadcast. A rundown of what preceded it? Lots of baseball, lots of NFL preseason, and golf (even though it wasn’t a major weekend). What followed Beckham’s highlights, which lasted all but a minute? WNBA highlights and analysis of their playoff chase. I kid you not. So my point remains that the casual fan won’t be as exposed to the MLS as they could have been. Most people only watch the first 15 minutes of Sportscenter to begin with.

However, on this day, I will put all that aside and give Beckham his props. He did good and good deserves recognition.

(Beckham celebrates after scoring his first goal in the MLS)