Hitting the Panic Button (and when to)

After 2 weeks you should know where your squad stands. Whether you are 2-0, 0-2, or coasting with a 1-1 record. Chances are if you started out with an 0-2 record, you are thinking about blowing your team up. However, there are steps you should take before doing so. You need to take a good hard look at the reason you are winless. Below are 3 reasons why you could be "O-fer" and the actions you may need to take to rectify it so you can make your push to the playoffs.

I've got a good team, but I'm just getting stomped.
This problem is spotted by seeing that your team is scoring well. It's good enough that you would beat more than half the teams on that given Sunday, except the one you played. Many on-line services have a 'power ranking' feature that tells you how powerful your team is if you played everyone in a week. If you are in the top of this listing, and are still winless, you might not want to make many changes to your core lineup. Especially with the bye weeks starting in week 4. The lower you are in this standing the more moves you may want make. Perhaps you can trade that big name, under-performing RB for a lower tier one, or a better performing WR. Trades matter on how creative you can be, and how gullible your trade partner is.

I've got a big name team that should do well, they are just performing like crap!
There are many high ranked draft picks from the pre-season that are total under-performing their draft position. Players from San Diego (excepting Antonio Gates) have struggled mightily early this season. Is that because SD sucks, or because they have played really good defenses? Also, New Orleans has been VERY disappointing this season. They had the most explosive offense in the pre-season, and now they look worse than the Vikings on offense. Your job, if you are 0-2, is to figure out where your players are on this scale? Once you figure out where you are, you need to then figure out if those players will improve, or continue to suck. If you think they will improve, then you need to toughen up and weather the storm. If you think they will continue to suck, then find some gullible tool in your league talk your guys up and unload them for better merchandise. This situation lends itself more to being patient than hitting the panic button. Week 3 should be a good show of where certain players are at, either overrated or underrated.

I drafted overrated hacks that aren't doing jack squat!
If this is your situation, then you need to find your panic button, hit it hard, hit it repeatedly. When you start 0-2 because your team isn't scoring, or injured or worse, it is time to move on. You should overhaul your roster as much as you possibly can. Perhaps hang on to a few guys that are actually performing and trade or cut the rest. Every year serviceable players emerge from nowhere that you may be able to pick up off the waiver wire. (See: Ward, Derrick, and Wynn, DeShawn.) Perhaps you can trade your hacks for different hacks with more upside.

The one thing you don't want to do, is give up completely. Even if your team sucks you need to stick it out and try and learn a thing or two, and keep fielding a "competitive" team. Update your lineup weekly, and not start injured or suspended players. If you are going to get beat, you should let it happen straight up, and not give the teams you play an unfair advantage in your league. Players HATE it when other players bail on the league halfway through the season. Don't be that guy. You owe it to your league, and your fellow players to stick it out and try and improve your team as much as possible.

Strange things happen in the game of Fantasy Football. For example 2 years ago or so I had a team I hated. It started 3-4 and was buried in my division. The WRs I drafted high were crap. The RBs were okay, but couldn't put up enough points to cover the Wide Outs slacking. After a couple trades and waiver pickups, the team came around and finished 10-4. I made the playoffs and took 3rd place in the league. It's just an example of how things can turn around if you don't give up.


Starting 0-2 isn't a death sentence in Fantasy Football. It does make things more difficult on your quest to win the championship, though. However, identifying your team's problems and establishing a plan to fix them will go a long way in turning your team around. The only problem that can't be fixed is apathy in your team. As long as you are trying, things will get better. If nothing else, it gives you a reason to develop some nifty grudges against players. I will never draft Nate Burleson again, simply because he cost me too much with high draft picks two years in a row.

Top 25 TEs 2007

Time for the top 25 TEs.

Only the first 10-15 matter, but We're going to do more than we need.


1. Antonio Gates - SD
2. Jeremy Shockey - NYG
3. Todd Heap - BAL
4. Vernon Davis - SF
5. LJ Smith - PHI
6. Alge Crumpler - ATL
7. Ben Watson - NE
8. Tony Gonzalez - KC
9. Kellen Winslow - CLE
10. Randy McMichael - StL
11. Chris Cooley - WAS
12. Heath Miller - PIT
13. Jason Witten - DAL
14. Dallas Clark - IND
15. Owen Daniels - HOU
16. Marcedes Lewis - JAX
17. Greg Olsen - CHI
18 David Martin - MIA
19. Daniel Graham - DEN
20. Tony Sheffler - DEN
21. Visante Shancoe - MIN
22. Leonard Pope - ARI
23. Ben Troupe - TEN
24. Eric Johnson - NO
25. Desmond Clark - CHI


Antonio Gates is head and shoulders above the rest of the TEs. He's the only TE you'd consider drafting in the upper 3 rounds. Everyone else is just details.

Tony Gonzalez is showing up in his lowest ranking in years. This is because of the low hope of the KC Offensive Line. KC doesn't have as good a QB as they used to have. Therefore, Gonzo is expected to stay in and block more than usual. He is still a good choice in the later rounds, but not the top 3 TE he was going into last year.

Everyone else is rather unremarkable. Randy McMichael could enjoy a resurgence in a new town, with a better quarterback. He could be vastly under rated at #10.

Top 50 WRs in 2007.

Here we go... Gotta keep on keepin' on.

Now we have my Top 50 WRs.

1. Torry Holt - StL 2. Steve Smith - CAR
3. Larry Fitzgerald - ARI 4. Chad Johnson - CIN
5. Roy Williams - DET 6. Marvin Harrison - IND
7. Javon Walker -DEN 8. Reggie Wayne - IND
9. Terrell Owens - DAL 10. Randy Moss - NE
11. Donald Driver - GB 12. Anquan Boldin - ARI
13. TJ Houshmandzaden - CIN 14. Marques Colston - NO
15. Hines Ward - PIT 16. Andre Johnson - HOU
17. Braylon Edwards - CLE 18. Lee Evans - BUF
19. Chris Chambers - MIA 20. Darrell Jackson - SF
21. Plaxico Burress - NYG 22. Calvin Johnson - DET
23. Reggie Brown - PHI 24. Vincent Jackson - SD
25. Laveranues Coles - NYJ 26. Santana Moss - WAS
27. Matt Jones - JAX 28. Greg Jennings - GB
29. Jerricho Cotchery - NYJ 30. Donte Stalworth - NE
31. Joey Galloway - TB 32. Muhsin Muhammad - CHI
33. Santonio Holmes - PIT 34. DJ Hackett - SEA
35. Terry Glenn - DAL 36. Ronald Curry - OAK
37. Mike Furrey - DET 38. Kevin Curtis - PHI
39. Bernard Berrian - CHI 40. Drew Bennett - StL
41. Robert Meachem - NO 42. Mark Clayton - BAL
43. Brandon Jones - TEN 44. Joe Horn - ATL
45. Deion Branch - SEA 46. Jerry Porter - OAK
47. Brandon Marshall - DEN 48. Wes Welker - NE
49. Sidney Rice - MIN 50. Troy Williamson - MIN



I have Torry Holt as my #1 WR this year. He is, year in year out, one of the top 5 WRs in the league. While in the QB ranks that's enough to bump Peyton Manning down, in the WRs that's consistency that you have to have on your roster.

I ranked Randy Moss back in the top 10, simply because he moved to New England. I think under the tutiledge of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, Moss will return to his former forceful self. He may have lost a step, but his desire to win a ring, overcomes any of that jazz.

Last year's 7th round phenom Marques Colston vaulted into the top 15. He is the number 1 option in a pass happy New Orleans offense. Rookie Robert Meecham should win the number 2 job and form one of the top WR tandems in the league catching balls from Drew Brees.

Top 25 QBs of 2007

It's that time, finally. Time to start looking at the player rankings for 2007. I'll start this series by listing my top 25 QBs. I chose 25 because if you are in a 12 team league, like many of you are, then that leaves a starter and a backup for each team. So without further ado, lets get started!

Hopefully these rankings won't scare you too much.

1. Tom Brady - NE
2. Peyton Manning - IND
3. Carson Palmer - CIN
4. Drew Brees - NO
5. Phillip Rivers - SD
6. Donovan McNabb - PHI
7. Marc Bulger - STL
8. Matt Hasselbeck - SEA
9. Jon Kitna - DET
10. Matt Leinart - ARI
11. Jay Cutler - DEN
12. Brett Favre - GB
13. Eli Manning - NYG
14. Michael 'Ron Mexico' Vick - ATL
15. Vince Young - TEN
16. Jake Delhomme - CAR
1 7. Ben Roethlisberger - PIT
18. Chad Pennington - NYJ
19. J.P. Losman - BUF
20. Rex Grossman - CHI
21. Tony Romo - DAL
22. Matt Schaub - HOU
23. Jason Campbell - WAS
24. Byron Leftwich - JAX
25. Steve McNair - BAL

I know it may come as some surprise to see Peyton Manning not listed as the #1 QB, by myself. Many outlets indeed do have the elder Manning as their number 1 QB. I suppose I should attempt to rationalize this. First, I absolutely love what the Patriots have done to their receiving corps this off season. Adding Randy Moss is easily the best reason to bump Brady. However, they also added Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker, as fabulous counterparts to Moss. The receiving corp, has suddenly gotten so swollen that it may be hard to find Troy Brown a spot on this roster. Keep in mind that Brady has a great tight end in Ben Watson, and Laurance Maroney who can catch passes out of the backfield. Without a true 'Goal Line Back' the Patriots could be forced to throw it in from 10 yds out, which is how Peyton Manning got all his touchdowns a few years ago.

Secondly, Peyton Manning's big claim to fame is that he is consistent week to week. Which if you are pulling a mid first round pick, Manning would be a great choice. However, you need to remember that Manning has rarely finished as the number 1 overall fantasy quarterback. Last year he wouldn't have gotten close if McNabb hadn't blown out a knee in week 9. While I appreciate all of Manning's skill and prowess for putting up points, I just don't think that he will be this year's number 1. Harrison is getting older, and was showing signs last year of losing a step. Joseph Addai has to prove that he can handle a full year as the feature back, now that Dominic Rhodes has moved on to Oakland to get a fresh set of DUIs.

Another surprising top 10 guy, is Jon Kitna. This just shows what kind of faith I have in the Mad Scientists offense. Kitna was among the leaders in yardage last year. He just needs some more TDs to go with it. Calvin Johnson, and Roy Williams should be all the Lions need to bolster those numbers. Also the Detroit running game looks dismal at best, with Kevin Jones, not likely to do anything special after Lis Franc surgery on his foot. Tatum Bell, TJ Duckett, and Shawn Bryson really aren't going to strike fear into the hearts of defenses, but they may be respectable enough to keep defenses from playing the pass too much. Also Detroit gets to play the Vikings Secondary twice, so that should help.

Five more QBs to keep an eye on.
1. Trent Green - MIA
2. Damon Huard - KC
3. Brady Quinn - CLE
4. Jeff Garcia - TB
5. Tarvaris Jackson - MIN

Green got an off season relocation to Miami. There he will have better receivers to throw to, and a decent running game to back him up. Green has also been among the league leaders before 2006, when he got his bell rung and missed most of the season. The knock this year on Green, is that Miami's O-Line isn't all that great. It could protect him well enough, but all it did last year is get Daunte Cullpepper nearly killed. Trent is just one good hit away from being knocked into retirement, so if you need a late round flier on a proven commodity, Green might be your man.

Damon Huard, Green's replacement is penciled in as the starter in KC. However, word out of Arrowhead is that the Chief's will do everything they can to make Brodie Croyle the starter. Huard proved last year that he is capable of handling the starter's gig. He played well enough to support fantasy teams, but not well enough to star. He does have Larry Johnson, who should put up fantastic numbers again this year, regardless of the troubles that have gone on with their O-Line. Although, if Croyle wins the job, don't expect Johnson or the Chief's to do anything fantastic this year.

Brady Quinn, has the weapons on Offense to do so damage, and a rebuilt O-Line to protect him. However, being a rookie, he needs to prove it in camp. Quinn would also be helped out with a running game. The Browns currently have no one of name, unless you think an old Jamal Lewis is going to regain his prior form. Quinn also needs to be able to beat out Charlie Frye to win the job, which could pose a bit of a challenge to the rookie. Most pundits seem to think that that won't be too hard. Look for Quinn to be one of the more surprising players this year.

Jeff Garcia - He should win the job in Tampa. Even though he has a sub-par offensive line. A running back coming off of a disappointing 2nd year, and a group of under performing wide outs. Will he be able to reproduce the magic that made him millions coming out of Philly? Doubtful. But he's good enough to keep an eye on.

Tarvaris Jackson - Umm.... He's the starter in Minnesota. That's worth something. His wide outs aren't stellar, but he does have a terrific running game with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. Plus Jackson can move a little when pressure is on. His O-Line SHOULD be the best in the league this year, after a year of gelling all the new parts together. However, he is from a small school, and didn't do anything last year to prove he's worthy of fantasy consideration. Like Garcia, he's just a guy to keep an eye on should your drafted QBs falter or get hurt.

Likely to go BUST in the night -

1. JaMarcus Russel - OAK - Rookie, bad offense, another new young coach. Could be the worst #1/#1 since Ryan Leaf.
2. Steve McNair - BAL - Old, losing his trick, can't run anymore. No targets to throw at that stay healthy. McGahee ain't going to save the ground game either.
3. Tony Romo - DAL - Was the media darling for 4 games. Then defenses figured him out. Throw in the fact that the last time we saw him on the field, he was crying. I don't see him doing much of anything this year.
4. Brett Favre - GB - Just a flat out wild card. Favre is always planning on retiring, but never goes through with it. He had a decent season last year, but is only one season away from setting an INT mark. He has good young WRs, but no ground game to speak of. He could be great this year, or he could be awful. That's the chance you take with the gunslinger from cheddar town.
5. Chad Pennington - NYJ - Chad had a decent year last year, only because nobody expected it. He is accurate, but still has a wet noodle for an arm. Thomas Jones should take pressure off Pennington, leading to lower overall numbers for Chad. He could be a serviceable backup, or he might not get out of the Preseason. Such is the chance you take with the leader of Gang Green.



There you have it, my predictions on the QBs this season. If you have any comments, criticisms, concerns, or questions, feel free to email me at eikey1729@yahoo.com . There is a direct link on the side bar of this blog. Hope you all have a great season!

Be on the look out for my top 50 RBs coming soon!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the fun and frivolity that is the National Football League!

With one week left of full football action, a certain sadness enters my heart, as I know that soon, we will soon enter the great sports abyss known as "summer". Enjoy this week as much as you can. Especially, if your favorite team is not making a push into the playoffs. (Stupid Vikings).

From a Fantasy Football perspective, Week 17 should find you with your feet kicked up, championship in hand, with nothing to do but enjoy your favorite team and/or beverage. However, I am sure there are a few silly leagues out there that have to have their championship settled this week. Those games are always thrilling. Teams normally led by studs like LaDanian Tomlinson, and Peyton Manning, starting Fantasy duds like Jeff Garcia and Ron Dayne. This is the reason that many leagues settle their championships on week 16. Week 17 has been notorious for the top NFL teams to sit Fantasy Stalwarts, or play them for such limited time, that it is not worth inserting them into your fantasy lineup.

In my keeper league, I made this mistake for one year. I was a proud Commish, telling the players that made it the finals, you are that good- find a way to one more. Which just isn't fair. The other side of this, is the pure scheduling benefits you can use for a week 16 championship. In my big keeper league, we have 12 teams, 3 divisions. We have 14 weeks of games, this breaks down to playing everyone once, and your division twice. The three division winners go to the playoffs with one Wild Card, which for three years, has been a hotly contested race. It's great fun. Just to keep things interesting, the last 8 teams that didn't make the championship playoffs, get to fight it out in a 3 week playoff, that settles in week 17, but it doesn't change draft order or anything, so a week 17 title here is meaningless.

But to those that do have a week 17 Championship game this weekend, good luck! May you have Marc Bulger lead you to greatness this weekend.

Merry Christmas!

I will be on vacation this weekend, and not necessarily near a computer enough to get to all the match-ups that I would like to do. I will still be checking email, so those of you that are checking in regularly and have questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

That said, I wish each of you that sees this a Merry Christmas, and a joyous holiday season, not least of which one that sees you winning your fantasy championship.

If you are in one of those silly leagues that plays in week 17, I should be back in time to break down those match-ups for you.

Happy Holidays.

Best wishes to you and yours.