ESPN’s Expert Predictions

NFL Season Predictions
	Jeffri Chadiha, ESPN.com	John Clayton, ESPN.com	Tim Graham, ESPN.com	Jeremy Green, Scouts Inc.
AFC East	New England	New England	New England	New England
AFC North	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Cleveland	Cleveland
AFC South	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Jacksonville	Indianapolis
AFC West	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
AFC wild cards	Cleveland, Jacksonville	Tennessee, N.Y. Jets	Indianapolis, N.Y. Jets	Jacksonville, Pittsburgh
NFC East	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas
NFC North	Green Bay	Green Bay	Minnesota	Minnesota
NFC South	Carolina	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans
NFC West	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle
NFC wild cards	Minnesota, N.Y. Giants	Carolina, Philadelphia	Green Bay, N.Y. Giants	Washington, Green Bay
AFC champion	San Diego	San Diego	New England	San Diego
NFC champion	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION	San Diego	San Diego	Dallas	San Diego
Coach of the year	Wade Phillips	Andy Reid	Sean Payton	Norv Turner
MVP	Adrian Peterson	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	LaDainian Tomlinson
Offensive player of the year	Adrian Peterson	LaDainian Tomlinson	Drew Brees	Tom Brady
Defensive player of the year	DeMarcus Ware	Julius Peppers	DeMarcus Ware	Jared Allen
Offensive ROY	Darren McFadden	Darren McFadden	Matt Forte	Kevin Smith
Defensive ROY	Vernon Gholston	Jerod Mayo	Glenn Dorsey	Jerod Mayo

 
 

 

NFL Season Predictions
	KC Joyner, ESPN.com	Paul Kuharsky, ESPN.com	Matt Mosley, ESPN.com	Sal Paolantonio, ESPN
AFC East	New England	New England	New England	New England
AFC North	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
AFC South	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Indianapolis	Jacksonville
AFC West	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
AFC wild cards	Cleveland, Houston	Tennessee, Jacksonville	Jacksonville, Tennessee	Indianapolis, N.Y. Jets
NFC East	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas
NFC North	Minnesota	Minnesota	Minnesota	Green Bay
NFC South	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans
NFC West	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle
NFC wild cards	Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants	Philadelphia, Green Bay	Philadelphia, Tampa Bay	Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants
AFC champion	San Diego	New England	New England	San Diego
NFC champion	Dallas	New Orleans	Dallas	Dallas
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION	Dallas	New England	New England	Dallas
Coach of the year	Brad Childress	Sean Payton	Bill Belichick	Norv Turner
MVP	Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Tom Brady	LaDainian Tomlinson
Offensive player of the year	Peyton Manning	Tom Brady	Adrian Peterson	Terrell Owens
Defensive player of the year	Jared Allen	Albert Haynesworth	DeMarcus Ware	Jared Allen
Offensive ROY	Kevin Smith	Matt Ryan	DeSean Jackson	DeSean Jackson
Defensive ROY	Jerod Mayo	Jerod Mayo	Glenn Dorsey	Kenny Phillips

 
 

 

NFL Season Predictions
	Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com	Mike Sando, ESPN.com	Kevin Seifert, ESPN.com	James Walker, ESPN.com
AFC East	New England	New England	New England	New England
AFC North	Cleveland	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
AFC South	Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Jacksonville	Indianapolis
AFC West	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
AFC wild cards	Pittsburgh, Indianapolis	Indianapolis, Tennessee	Indianapolis, Tennessee	Jacksonville, Cleveland
NFC East	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas	Dallas
NFC North	Green Bay	Minnesota	Green Bay	Minnesota
NFC South	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans
NFC West	Arizona	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle
NFC wild cards	Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants	Philadelphia, N.Y. Giants	Minnesota, Philadelphia	N.Y. Giants, Green Bay
AFC champion	San Diego	San Diego	Jacksonville	New England
NFC champion	Dallas	Philadelphia	Dallas	Dallas
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION	San Diego	San Diego	Jacksonville	New England
Coach of the year	Jack Del Rio	Andy Reid	Jack Del Rio	Wade Phillips
MVP	Tom Brady	LaDainian Tomlinson	Drew Brees	Tom Brady
Offensive player of the year	Reggie Wayne	Randy Moss	LaDainian Tomlinson	Tom Brady
Defensive player of the year	Champ Bailey	DeMarcus Ware	Jared Allen	DeMarcus Ware
Offensive ROY	Darren McFadden	Darren McFadden	Darren McFadden	Darren McFadden
Defensive ROY	Jerod Mayo	Vernon Gholston	Vernon Gholston	Keith Rivers

 

 
 

 

NFL Season Predictions
	Seth Wickersham, ESPN The Mag	Bill Williamson, ESPN.com	Matt Williamson, Scouts Inc.	Pat Yasinskas, ESPN.com
AFC East	New England	New England	New England	New England
AFC North	Cleveland	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
AFC South	Indianapolis	Jacksonville	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
AFC West	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
AFC wild cards	Denver, Buffalo	Indianapolis, Houston	Jacksonville, N.Y. Jets	Jacksonville, Cleveland
NFC East	Philadelphia	Dallas	Dallas	N.Y. Giants
NFC North	Green Bay	Minnesota	Green Bay	Green Bay
NFC South	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans
NFC West	Seattle	Seattle	Arizona	Seattle
NFC wild cards	Dallas, St. Louis	N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia	Philadelphia, Tampa Bay	Carolina, Philadelphia
AFC champion	Indianapolis	San Diego	New England	Indianapolis
NFC champion	New Orleans	Dallas	Dallas	Seattle
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION	Indianapolis	Dallas	Dallas	Indianapolis
Coach of the year	Tony Dungy	Gary Kubiak	Gary Kubiak	Mike Holmgren
MVP	Peyton Manning	Tony Romo	Drew Brees	Peyton Manning
Offensive player of the year	Randy Moss	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Peyton Manning
Defensive player of the year	Patrick Willis	Jared Allen	Mario Williams	Bob Sanders
Offensive ROY	Chris Johnson	Darren McFadden	Jonathan Stewart	Jonathan Stewart
Defensive ROY	Jerod Mayo	Glenn Dorsey	Jerod Mayo	Sedrick Ellis

Here’s the experts predictions totals:
AFC East: New England (16)

AFC North: Pittsburgh (12), Cleveland (4)

AFC South: Indianapolis (9), Jacksonville (7)

AFC West: San Diego (16)

AFC Wild Cards: Jacksonville (7), Indianapolis (6), Tennessee (5), Cleveland (4), New York (4), Pittsburgh (2), Houston (2), Denver (1), Buffalo (1)

NFC East: Dallas (14), Philadelphia (1), New York (1)

NFC North: Green Bay (8), Minnesota (8)

NFC South: New Orleans (15), Carolina (1)

NFC West: Seattle (14), Arizona (2)

NFC Wild Cards: Philadelphia (11), New York (8), Green Bay (4), Minnesota (2), Carolina (2), Tampa Bay (2),  Washington (1),  St. Louis (1), Dallas (1)

AFC Champion: San Diego (8), New England (5), Indianapolis (2), Jacksonville (1)

NFC Champion: Dallas (12), New Orleans (2), Philadelphia (1), Seattle (1)

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: San Diego (5), Dallas (5), New England (3) Indianapolis (2), Jacksonville (1)

Coach of the Year: Wade Phillips (2), Andy Reid (2), Sean Payton (2), Norv Turner (2), Gary Kubiack (2), Jack Del Rio (2), Brad Childress (1), Bill Belichick (1), Tony Dungy (1), Mike Homlgren (1)

MVP: Tom Brady (5), Drew Brees (3), LaDainian Tomlinson (3), Peyton Manning (3), Tony Romo (1), Adrian Peterson (1)

Off.POY: Tom Brady (4), Adrian Peterson (2), LaDainian Tomlinson (2), Drew Brees (2), Peyton Manning (2), Randy Moss (2), Terrell Owens (1), Reggie Wayne (1),

Def.POY: DeMarcus Ware (5), Jared Allen (5) Julius Peppers (1), Albert Haynesworth (1), Champ Bailey (1), Patrick Willis (1), Mario Williams (1), Bob Sanders (1)

Off.ROY: Darren McFadden (7),  Kevin Smith (2),  DeSean Jackson (2), Jonathan Stewart (2), Chris Johnson (1), Matt Forte (1), Matt Ryan (1)

Def.ROY: Jerod Mayo (7), Vernon Gholston (3), Glenn Dorsey (3), Kenny Phillips (1), Keith Rivers (1), Sedrick Ellis (1)

FANTASY ALERT- Rudi Johnson Cut – Pick Up Chris Perry

-Christopher Dutra

If you are reading this now, STOP. Go to your fantasy football league page and do three things.

1. If you own Rudi-drop him, unless you have faith he will sign with another team.
2. See if Chris Perry is an FA. If he is…
3. Pick him up.

Then come back and I’ll explain why. Rudi Johnson was cut today by the Cincinatti Bengals. This means that Chris Perry will get the bulk of the carries out of the backfield. A few days ago, Perry was 6% owned in Yahoo Fantasy Football. That number has now risen to 35% as of 7PM EST.

If you need a RB on your team, he’s a solid option. This one’s simple. Pick him up!

Jaguars – The New Bengals?

-Christopher Dutra

This is off-topic fantasy wise, but it is a glaring problem in the NFL. Take a look at a couple of articles I managed to pull the past couple of days:

“Former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith is facing DUI charges after an early morning traffic stop. Smith was booked into the Duval County Jail around 12:30 a.m. Saturday. He spent about 10 hours behind bars before bonding out.

Inside Smith’s vehicle officers also found marijuana butts inside the console. Smith had a strong odor of the drug on his clothing. When Smith was asked if he had smoked marijuana, he told the officer “I just finished it.” When an officer approached the vehicle, Smith handed him his beer bottle.” Full Article

I have one word to say to this-WOW. Are you kidding me? I cannot even put into words how stupid he is. Sounds like if idiocy were a fantasy football category, we would have our MVP. If you are keeping track, that’s Jaguar #2 to get drug charges this year (anyone remember Matt Jones?) .

If you want more stats, that’s the second Jaguar arrested this week. Fred Taylor was arrested for disorderly conduct earlier this week. Fact is, and I think it’s safe to say the majority of people feel this way, drugs are tarnishing the NFL. It is really sad to watch.

In other drug-related NFL news:

“The NFL has suspended New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk for the team’s opening game against the Kansas City Chiefs for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Faulk was also fined two game checks. Faulk’s suspension began Saturday. He will be eligible to return to the team Sept. 8, the day after New England’s opener against Kansas City.

In July, a judge in Lafayette, La., sentenced the 32-year-old Faulk to a year of probation after he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor marijuana charges. Faulk had been issued a misdemeanor summons for possession of marijuana at a Li’l Wayne concert at the Cajundome in February.” Full Article

The go-to guy on third down for the Patriots the past couple of years won’t be relied on for the season opener. Wonderful, as if they needed to worry about anyone else on that team. However, I’m ready to give Kevin Faulk the benefit of the doubt here. Sounds like a possible “wrong place, wrong time”. But honestly, who knows at this day and age.

I’m not gonna belabor the point, but I thought we learned our lessons from the Cincinatti Bengals…

Vikings Left Tackle suspended 4 games

David Lewis, Vice President of Operations

Yesterday the NFL suspended Minnesota Viking LT Brian McKinnie for 4 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. This is a devastating blow to the Vikings who will play against Green Bay, Indianapolis and Carolina during that 4 game span. This suspension directly affects the fantasy value of Adrian Peterson, Tavaris Jackson, and Bernard Berrian. Obviously AP will not have his starting LT to block for him. Artis Hicks is a serviceable replacement, but AP definitely will miss McKinnie’s blocking ability next to Steve Hutchinson. Jackson must now worry about his blind side with McKinnie out. This could affect his production and his ability to deliver Berrian the ball. I’m not suggesting that you bench AP. However, be prepared to see his numbers drop slightly for the first month with McKinnie out.

Draft Day Bargain Bin 2008

by, James McPartlin, Vice President- Editor

Times are tight in the good old US of A. With the economy the way it is and how expensive gas is people are making a serious effort not to overspend. Well I’m here to help get you the most bang for your buck and you’re in luck there are a bunch of great deals going on in every fantasy draft.

David Garrard QB Jacksonville Jaguars – Garrard was extremely accurate last year throwing 18 TDs as opposed to his 3 interceptions. Garrard comes into his second full year as starter and should improve on last years numbers. The Jags will continue to run first run second then maybe throw third style of offense but I expect Garrard’s yardage and TD count to grow and although he protected the ball very well last year it is inevitable that he will throw more ints. I have Garrard ranked very high, after this preseason he has move all the way up to 6th among Quarterbacks however Garrard has been selected much later in drafts. As opposed to taking a Quarterback in the 6th round you could wait on Garrard who is going early 8th round and as late as the tenth. Garrard is a an excellent value pick for all you bargain drafters.

Steve Slaton RB Houston Texans- I cannot rave about this guy enough. Slaton is a no name rookie walking into a backfield full of washed up running backs. Get your stars in your lineup but make sure this guy is on your bench. He’s going in the last rounds of drafts or going undrafted and has the potential to be a top 20 back easily.

Thomas Jones RB New York Jets- Thomas Jones was foolishly taken as an RB2 last year in all standard drafts. Although Jones managed 1000 yards rushing he only reached   twice and posted a miserable 3.6 yards a carry which is his lowest since he played for the Arizona Cardinals. Jones is the beneficiary of the Jets off season moves. Brett Favre makes this offense better and more efficient automatically. The Jets went out and got Alan Faneca and Tony Richardson to block for Jones (Richardson has led blocked for Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson, Chester Taylor in his breakout year, and Adrian Peterson). Plus the Jets didn’t get any running back help at all so Jones will still get the lion share of the carries cause change of pace back Leon Washington poses no threat. If all of the best backs are gone come your pick in the second or third round get a top tier receiver or quarterback and wait on Thomas Jones in the 4th or 5th cause he will be an absolute steal.

Tim Hightower RB Arizona Cardinals- IF you don’t know who this guy is you will once he runs Edgerrin James out of town. Edge’s mileage is … well the same as a 1978 Pinto, its a shock that its still running. Now before I get criticized for ripping on a very talented running back when he was in a Colts uniform. James’s average hasn’t been over 4 yards a carry since he played in Indy in addition he is 30 now and has taken a beating in his 9 years in the league.

Lee Evans WR Buffalo Bills- Last year Evans probably ruined some fantasy teams by only accumulating 849 yards and 5 TDs. In all fairness the quarterback position for the Bills was awful last year and will be better this with incumbent Trent Edwards getting the go ahead from the start. Rookie James Hardy at 6-7 should help Evans with seeing less double teams so look for Evans to rebound this year and you can get him later because no one is high on him right now.

Chris Chambers WR San Diego Chargers- Chambers has not been a fantasy wide out since 2005 but now he has a chance to. The Chargers are the most complete team in football, offensively and defensively  going into the 2008 season. Even with Shawn Merriman foolishly jeopardizing his carreer by playing with two ligament tears in his left knee, Jyles Tucker is an outside linebacker who can make a name for himself when Merriman does inevitably go on the Injured Reserve. Chambers scored 4 TDs and accumulated 555 yards after he was traded last year and Phillip Rivers enjoys looking his way. Chambers might surprise this year and at the coast of a mid round pick and being a WR3, where can you go wrong?

Roddy White WR Atlanta Falcons- This guy put up 1200 yards and 5 TDs last year with a quarterback by committee last season with Joey Harrington taking most of the snaps. The quarterback situation hasn’t gotten much better with Matt Ryan being a rookie and the Falcons looking to initiate him by fire however White put up good numbers last year and at the price of an 8th round selection you just can’t beat that value.

There are somethings that are necessities and they’re going to be expensive. Cars, houses, televisions, (if you’re me) and other appliances are good examples of this. Fantasy drafts are the same way. LaDanian Tomlinson is not falling the the 4th round. However if you can get early round value for a late round pick, you need to take advantage of it. Fantasy Drafts are going out of business sales, you can’t beat the prices and everything needs to go.

Tom Brady-Fantasy Football Draft Risk?

-Christopher Dutra

Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Mariano Rivera.

What do all of these players have in common? Easy. They have undoubtedly, been at the top of their game-for an extended period of time. They will most likely walk away from the sport still at the apex of their careers.

Why are there no football players on that list? There is an easy to answer that. For one, injuries occur more frequently in football than any other sport. Football is probably the second most liable sport for injuries to occur (first being Rugby, but let’s face it-The New Zealand National team would destroy an All-NFL team in football).  Second, things change more rapidly in the NFL than the other organizations. This has to do with ownership and contract issues. It is seen a lot in the NFL, MLB, and NBA, where free agency and NFL draft trades reorganize teams almost completely. And let’s be honest-a star is only as good as it’s supporting cast (case in point-Randy Moss).

To really get down to it, look at the careers of the names mentioned above. Nothing really changes for Phelps, whose train-eat-train-eat mentality will kick up soon in preparation for 2012 in London. Federer and Tiger aren’t on a team. Rather, they strive for the top spot in individual sports. In my mind, that seems easier for a great athlete to accomplish because there are less variable obstacles (teammates). While Rivera manages to avoid all of this being in the MLB, I will consider him an exception to this underlying rule: it is very hard in team sports to stay on top for long.

This is why Tom Brady seems to be a riskier pick than most people think. Forget about Brady’s ankle for a moment and let’s dig down into some numbers. They are very consistent, until last year.

	Team	QBRat	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	Int
2001	New England	86.5	264	413	63.9	2843	189.5	6.9	18	12
2002	New England	85.7	373	601	62.1	3764	235.3	6.3	28	14
2003	New England	85.9	317	527	60.2	3620	226.3	6.9	23	12
2004	New England	92.6	288	474	60.8	3692	230.8	7.8	28	14
2005	New England	92.3	334	530	63	4110	256.9	7.8	26	14
2006	New England	87.9	319	516	61.8	3529	220.6	6.8	24	12
2007	New England	117.2	398	578	68.9	4806	300.4	8.3	50	8

Source: Yahoo.com

The spike in production is noticeably different in every single category. Why? Because Tom Brady was, simply put, ridiculous out on the field. I don’t think I have to explain it much more than that. However, nobody expected it. Not even the mastermind with his cut-off sleeves. Last year was the result of a very good quarterback who knows how to win, but finally doing it with solid receiving options.

That was 2007. This is 2008. While New England’s schedule is one of the softest in the league (they would be docked points if the BCS were used in the pros-God help us), defenses are preparing to try and shut Brady down.  Defenses looked to contain Brady, Moss, and Welker-and partially succeeded. In comparison to the first half,  Brady “struggled” the latter half of the season. I think there will be an emphatic response again from defenses, thus Brady’s numbers aren’t going to repeat.

Do not get me wrong-I picked the Pats to go to the AFC Championship game. Brady will still have a great season. However, it will parallel more with his consistency from the other years instead of the offensive explosion we saw last year.

Before anything, however, Brady needs to step out onto the field and get that ankle healed. Know who will not have a breakout fantasy season? Any of the Patriot backup QB’s.

Fanasty Football Impact Rookies

by, James McPartlin, Vice President- Editor

Fantasy rookies are the perfect sleeper candidates. Rookie running backs are the only position worth taking in drafts as quarterbacks and wide receivers need time and experience to acclimate to the NFL level.

1. Darren McFadden RB Oakland Raiders- Despite being in a time share with Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden is far too explosive to not be the number one rookie this year. Early reports from Raiders’ training camp stated that McFadden’s carries would be limited but I think McFadden will put up fantasy numbers regardless what the Raiders’ plans for him are.

2. Kevin Smith RB Detroit Lions – This might come as a surprise to people, but Smith is in a good situation. The Lions still have a good offense with receivers Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson leading the way. In addition, RB Tatum Bell is no threat to take the goal line or away from Smith’s fantasy value. Kevin Smith is the future back for Detroit, Tatum Bell is a failed Mike Shanahan experiment.

3. Steve Slaton RB Houston Texans – I loved when the Texans took this kid last April because I knew he would be an absolute steal in fantasy drafts. The Texans’ backfield is so bad that Slaton had a golden opportunity to receive the majority of the carries back in April. To increase his value even more, the injured Chris Brown (who wasn’t a fantasy force in Tennessee – why would he be in Houston?) might not even make the 53 man roster and Ahman Green is 31 and washed up. Slaton’s upside is insane and is an absolute steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts.

4. Matt Forte RB Chicago Bears – Forte was higher on this list but the Bears acquisition of ex-Lion Kevin Jones is a threat to his fantasy value. Jones snaked a lot of goal line work in 2007. If Forte can keep Jones at bay for the season he can solidify his role as the only Chicago Bear worth taking. Unless you’re league gives points for returners – then Devin Hester is a force.

5. Jonathan Stewart RB Carolina Panthers – Stewart should have more fantasy value than McFadden in a Carolina run game that is trying to get back to its roots. However, Stewart’s presence in Carolina has lit a fire under third year back DeAngelo Williams, who is now running with more conviction than ever. Williams has the desire to be the starter and will compete with Stewart. This time share should result in Williams getting a few more yards than Stewart but Stewart being awarded goal line due to his size.

6. Rashard Mendenhall RB Pittsburgh Steelers – Last year Willie Parker recorded his third straight season with at least 1200 yards. But unlike in previous seasons, Willie Parker only managed to reach pay dirt twice. Cue Mendenhall. Rashard will allow the Steelers to not have to throw the ball so much in the red zone and in particularly on the goal line. As such, this 224 lb, first round pick out of Illinois should get goal line duty and put up decent fantasy numbers.

7. Tim Hightower RB Arizona Cardinals – Eddergin James is 30 years old entering the season – the magic age where running backs tend to feel the wear and tear of their job – and Edge has a lot of mileage on him now after his time in Indianapolis and two seasons in Arizona. Edge managed to record his fifth straight season with 1000 yard rushing at what would have been a perfect 9 year streak had he not fallen to injury in 2001 and 2002. Though an 1000 yard rushing season sound encouraging, Edge’s average yards per carry have been under 4 ypc since he has been in Arizona and now he’s a relatively old man. Hightower, on the other hand, has climbed up the depth chart behind James and is now threatening for goal line work. Like Slaton, Hightower is just a fantasy gold mine for value. Hightower, for now, is a no name guy that you can get late in your draft because odds are I’m not in your league taking back up rookies that I expect to start at some point this year.

8. Ray Rice RB Baltimore Ravens- Willis McGahee is hurt and Rice has been impressing in his stead. Rice doesn’t really threaten McGahee and the Ravens offense is so bad that Rice’s upside has more of a tangible roof than Slaton and Hightower. If McGahee remains unhealthy longer than expected Rice could move up on this list.

9. Chris Johnson RB Tennessee Titans- The Titans are a running team and should improve and remain a running team behind Chris Johnson. Johnson was the only player faster than Darren McFadden in the NFL combine and should split carries with Lendale White – a nice one-two punch because of their contrast in styles.

10 DeSean Jackson WR Philadelphia Eagles – I know I said running backs were the only rookies worth selection, but there are exceptions – and Jackson will be that exception. DeSean Jackson was only going to make a name as a return man this year but after injuries to Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, Jackson looks like McNabb’s best option. Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, and TE L.J. Smith are McNabb’s other options, but none of them possess the potential and skill of DeSean Jackson.

Fantasy Football Trend…. Kickers Can Wait

by, James McPartlin, Vice President- Editor

Last year I read about this tactic somewhere and was the only person in my fantasy leagues to use it. This year four managers, including myself, also used this tactic. Every smart manager knows to wait till the final two rounds to select a defense and kicker. In my opinion, selecting a kicker isn’t necessary.

The best fantasy drafts occur in between training camp and the preseason, around late July and early August. By not drafting a kicker, you have an extra spot for a guy that may win a position battle in training camp or during the preseason. Then as week one approaches, drop your least valuable bench player and pick up a kicker.

Since 2005 the top kickers have been Neil Rackers, Robbie Gould, and Mason Crosby, depending on your league’s scoring system. Regardless, none of these kickers were drafted in our experts league. The point is, if you neglected to select a kicker in your draft, the year’s best kicker is probably still available because of how unpredictable kickers are. With that extra spot, you also put yourself in a position to draft another breakout rookie or sleeper. 

Bottom Line: Hold the kicker, Draft the sleeper.

Last Minute Fantasy Football Advice

by, James McPartlin, Vice President- Editor

If you like football, you spend January watching the NFL playoffs. If you’re like me, come February you start experiencing withdrawals and start mock drafting for fantasy football. Its a good thing most people in the world are normal. Luckily for all you normal people, there are fantasy football addicts like me to get advice from this late in August.

For all of you who wait till the last minute for your draft to avoid all of the preseason injuries and roster changes, you have a to-do list before your draft. Regardless of what pick you are or whether your league has an online or live draft, you should have your rankings, ADPs, round targets, roster sheet and an overall gameplan entering the draft.

Your fantasy rankings are self explanatory. This is your complete list of players you look to draft. I like to rank players based on position, but you can create your own big board as to not miss anyone. The key to your rankings is to not live or die by them. In a draft, you want to get the most value for your pick. If that means not taking the next person on your list, then do so. An important tip for drafting is get your stars early. Then when the later rounds come don’t draft based on the previous years number, rather draft players with the most upside to line your bench.

Average Draft Positions are the second most important tool in your fantasy preparations. A number of sites give average draft positions, whether they be from mock drafts or actual drafts. This will give you an idea on where you can get players you are targeting. This is also a tool that can help prevent you from over drafting a player. Other fantasy managers will over draft players but don’t let it throw you off. Whenever a player is selected way too early it just means a better pick with higher value has the potential to fall.

Round targets are a good way of having back up plans. Use the ADPs to help you create your round targets. A lot of the time fantasy managers get caught off guard by a player being selected right before their pick. This is something that occurs religiously in drafts and the best way to counter it is to not let it take you by surprise. To create round targets, make a list of three or four players for each round for you to set your sights. For example, if Santonio Holmes is potentially falling to you at the 11th spot in the fourth round and the tenth pick drafts him, you don’t panic and over draft Jerricho Cotchery.

Roster sheets are a must have on draft day. A roster sheet is simply the list of teams and positions that you fill out during your draft. Many online drafts have this built into their draft rooms, so use them to your advantage. Try to know what other teams need so when your pick comes, you’ll know if you can wait on a position or not.

The is only so much preparation you can do for a fantasy draft, drafting performance is something that can vary each time. Drafting is a lot like gambling-its a mix of luck and skill. Anyone can get lucky. However, if you have the smarts to back it up, you can still set yourself up for a competitive fantasy season.

The experts make their NFL Predictions

-RGFFootball.com Staff

As the season is approaching, we called upon our writers and editors to make their predictions as to how the 2008 NFL season will play out. We will come back to this at the end of the season and see who won.

As always, give us a shout at rgffootball@gmail.com if you have a question or comment and we will answer it! You can also vote on who will win!

NFL Experts:	David Lewis	Chris Dutra	James McPartlin	Sean Dutra	Mike McPartlin
AFC East	New England	New England	New England	New England	New England
AFC North	Cleveland	Cleveland	Pittsburgh	Cleveland	Pittsburgh
AFC South	Indianapolis	Jacksonville	Indianapolis	Jacksonville	Indianapolis
AFC West	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego	San Diego
Wild Card	Jacksonville	Indianapolis	Jacksonville	New York	Jacksonville
Wild Card	Buffalo	New York	Houston	Indianapolis	Cleveland
AFC Championship	New England at San Diego	New England at Jacksonville	New England at San Diego	Jacksonville at New England	Pittsburgh at San Diego
NFC East	Philadelphia	Dallas	Dallas	Philadelphia	New York
NFC North	Green Bay	Green Bay	Minnesota	Green Bay	Green Bay
NFC South	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	New Orleans	Tampa Bay
NFC West	Seattle	Seattle	Seattle	Arizona	Seattle
Wild Card	Washington	Philadelphia	Philadelphia	Chicago	Dallas
Wild Card	Minnesota	Arizona	Washington	Dallas	Minnesota
NFC Championship	Philadelphia at Green Bay	New Orleans at Dallas	Philadelphia at Dallas	Dallas at Philadelphia	Minnesota at Green Bay
Coach of the Year	Mike McCarthy	Eric Mangini	Dick Jauron	Jack Del Rio	Mike Tomlin
MVP	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Tom Brady	David Garrad	Ben Rothlisberger
Offensive Player of the Year	Tom Brady	Drew Brees	Tom Brady	Tom Brady	Ben Rothlisberger
Defensive Player of the Year	AJ Hawk	Bob Sanders	Lofa Tatupu	Roy Williams	Antonio Cromartie
Offensive Rookie of the Year	DeSean Jackson	Darren McFadden	Kevin Smith	Jonathan Stewart	Darren McFadden
Defensive Rookie of the Year	Jerod Mayo	Leodis McKelvin	Jerod Mayo	Jerod Mayo	Keith Rivers
Come Back Player of the Year	Donovan McNabb	Adam Jones	Ricky Williams	Chris Henry	Marc Bulger
Super Bowl 43	Philadelphia over San Diego 31-20	Dallas over Jacksonville 35-27	New England over Philadelphia 28-27	New England over Philadelphia 42-28	San Diego over Minnesota 17-9
Super Bowl MVP	Brian Westbrook	Marion Barber III	James Sanders	Tom Brady	LaDainian Tomlinson