<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
		<channel>
			<title>FFChamps Latest Blog Entries</title>
			<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com</link>
			<description>FFChamps Latest Blog Entries</description>
			<language>en-US</language>
			<webMaster>ffchamps@gmail.com (FFChamps)</webMaster>
			<lastBuildDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:46:03 CST</lastBuildDate>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>High Potential</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/39B7F0C3-1143-5A58-5FB4BF09FC71FB75</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/39B7F0C3-1143-5A58-5FB4BF09FC71FB75</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[Every year, it amazes me to see how running backs are ranked according to their talent. Talent plays a huge part in how well a running back will perform, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. Obviously this is an oversimplifed formula, but when I am looking for runningbacks, I use the following:Potential = Talent + OpportunityA talented running back is great, but a less talented running back with more opportunity has the potential to score more fantasy points. It is a risk, but it can be well worth the reward. For example, last year I didn't see a lot of differentiation in the mid tier backs. However, I did see Matt Forte emerging as a featured back. Forte was being drafted among players like Fred Taylor, Julius Jones, Ricky Williams, DeAngleo Williams and Chris Johnson. I liked Forte better than all of these players because he was a featured back, while the others were all in time sharing situations. DeAngelo Williams and Chris Johnson both put up big numbers last year, but neither was as consistent as Forte, who scored at least 10 fantasy points in every game last year (in leagues where you get a point per reception).A featured back has more opportunity than a player who shares carries or gets pulled on 3rd down or inside the 5. For this simple fact, they are more valuable than their role playing counterparts. In fact, there are very few true featured backs in the league today. Some of these players have teammates who take a lot of touches, but in these cases, it is necessary. I don't think anyone will argue that Michael Turner's health would be better off with an extra 100 carries. Here they are: Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, Matt Forte, Steven Jackson, Steve Slaton, Frank Gore, Clinton Portis, Kevin Smith, Larry Johnson, Cedric Benson, and Jamal Lewis.Smith, Johnson, Benson and Lewis are all 4th to 9th round picks. Another player who I think has potential to be featured back (if you watched Tim Hightower run at all last year, you'd agree) is Chris &quot;Beanie&quot; Wells. For these five players, they are on the field as long as their offense is.&nbsp; Does this mean I think they should be drafted a few rounds higher? Absolutely not. But when I'm looking for a running back in the 8th round, and I see Cedric Benson, LenDale White and Donald Brown on the board, I'm going to take the guy who will have 300+ touches this year, even if he may not have as much talent or as good an offensive line as the others.Don't wait for an injury or a benching for your player to hit his potential. Get your players with the opportunity already built in, and you could end up with this year's Matt Forte.]]></description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:27:23 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Mckee]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Industry Expert Draft Review</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/37D6A7BC-DCED-5B52-D366D3F3141F19B1</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/37D6A7BC-DCED-5B52-D366D3F3141F19B1</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[As I've mentioned before, I have been on the lookout for some industry expert leagues to get into this season to represent FFChamps.com and promote our product a little more. I've found a couple of&nbsp;pretty good ones,&nbsp;and on Monday evening I took part in my first industry experts league draft of the year. I am competing in this particular league against 11 other&nbsp;fantasy football outlets, including&nbsp;pros from USA Today, CBS Sportsline, Pro Football Weekly,&nbsp;FFIndepth.com (the organizer of the league) and many others. This league uses the same rules as the World Championship of Fantasy Football, most notably&nbsp;it's&nbsp;a point-per-reception (PPR) league. Our lineup consists of one quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, one kicker, one team defense, and a flex position player (WR, TE, or RB). I had the fifth overall pick, so after Maurice Jones-Drew went No. 1 (mistake!), Adrian Peterson went second, and Matt Forte went third, I was sitting on either Larry Fitzgerald Jr. or Andre Johnson with my pick. Remember, in PPR leagues like this, the popular strategy of taking a running back in the first round does not always apply. Well, as fate would have it, Fitz went No. 4 to PFW so I grabbed Johnson. (Yes, Beavis, that's what I said). I employed the &quot;do the opposite&quot; strategy and ended up with a team I like a lot, including Johnson, Greg Jennings, and Peyton Manning with my first three picks, and three 1,000-yard rushers (Ryan Grant, Derrick Ward, and Thomas Jones)&nbsp;in my backfield.For those of you unfamiliar with the &quot;opposite&quot; draft strategy, I invite you to check out our Fantasy Football University class on Fantasy Football Terminology.&nbsp;It's free to non-subscribers, like all of the FFU classes. For further&nbsp;details on doing the opposite, FFChamps subscribers can&nbsp;take a look at the article I published today on Draft Strategy.Here's how my team turned out, ordered by round:1. Andre Johnson, WR, Texans2. Greg Jennings, WR, Packers3. Peyton Manning, QB, Colts4. Ryan Grant, RB, Packers5. Derrick Ward, RB, Buccaneers6. Thomas Jones, RB, Jets7. Bernard Berrian, WR, Vikings8. John Carlson, TE, Seahawks9. Percy Harvin, WR, Vikings10. Eli Manning, QB, Giants11. Minnesota Vikings Defense12. Justin Gage, WR, Titans13. Earnest Graham, RB, Buccaneers14. Kevin Boss, TE, Giants15. James Davis, RB, Browns16. Jason Elam, K, Falcons17. Rashad Jennings, RB, Jaguars18. Ryan Longwell, K, VikingsAccording to the&nbsp;FFChamps C3 cheat sheet for PPR leagues, I have the&nbsp;No.&nbsp;2 quarterback, No. 2 and No. 6 wide receivers, No. 2 kicker,&nbsp;No. 2 team defense,&nbsp;and the No. 6 tight end. Waiting on running backs hurt my depth there, but I still wound up with three top-20 backs. I like my sleepers (Justin Gage and Kevin Boss) and I like Eli Manning's matchup on Peyton's bye week (vs. Saints). Moreover, my two rookie running backs could surprise and I handcuffed Graham to Ward. I also don't have any bye week issues.&nbsp;All in all, I would say the draft was a success. Here is my Week 1 Lineup:QB -&nbsp;Peyton ManningRB - Derrick WardRB - Ryan GrantWR - Andre JohnsonWR - Greg JenningsWR - Bernard BerrianFlex - Thomas JonesTE - John CarlsonK - Jason ElamD - VikingsLet me know what you think of my team.&nbsp; I look forward to carrying the FFChamps flag to a championship in this league!Bo Mitchell is a member of the FSWA]]></description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:42:06 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bo Mitchell]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>The Draft 2009</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/160A5785-E627-7995-7BFB5193F6E915AB</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/160A5785-E627-7995-7BFB5193F6E915AB</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[Have you heard about The Draft 2009?&nbsp; No, I'm not talking about the NFL Draft that happened back in April or the NBA Draft that takes place later today. Nor am I talking about the draft for the league that you're in with a bunch of your old&nbsp;college drinking buddies.I'm talking about the Head2Head sports event called The Draft 2009.If you haven't heard about it, you should check it out now because it's&nbsp;kind of a big deal and&nbsp;there's a chance for you to win $10,000.&nbsp; Basically, it's a fantasy football draft for a league that features serious competitors from across the country. It takes place on August 30 in Dallas at the Arlington Convention Center, a Tony Romo pass away from the Cowboys new stadium.&nbsp;And did I mention they have draft girls? Really, they do.I will be on hand at the event, shaking hands, slapping people on the back, and&nbsp;handing out free fantasy football advice to anyone who cares to listen. I may also plug&nbsp;FFChamps&nbsp;while I'm at it...just a guess.&nbsp; It should&nbsp;be a fantastic event!And since the scoring system used by The Draft 2009 league is quite extraordinary (QB-heavy, flex position, Defense-heavy, PPR, to name a few of the quirks) we've taken the liberty of creating a cheat sheet specifically for The Draft 2009 participants based on&nbsp;the same projected stats we use&nbsp;to formulate all our other&nbsp;C3 cheat sheets.&nbsp;It's part of our Draft Kit here at FFChamps. Subscribers can check out&nbsp;The Draft 2009&nbsp;cheat sheet right here.&nbsp;I'll see ya'll in the Big D on August 30!&nbsp;Bo Mitchell is a member of the FSWA]]></description>
				<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:11:32 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bo Mitchell]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Where's Mo-Jo?</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/christian/entry/15214858-188B-81BE-139094781546D7D5</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/christian/entry/15214858-188B-81BE-139094781546D7D5</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[While perusing the the rankings here at FFChamps for my most recent strength of schedule article, I couldn't help but notice that Maurice Jones-Drew sits at No. 7 amongst his running back brethren.While perusing rankings almost anywhere else, including in several prominent magazines now on newsstands, I couldn't help but notice that the same pint-sized runner ranks no worse than No. 4 on an industry-wide basis. Furthermore, at least one of said publications has Jones-Drew taken at No. 1 overall in a &quot;traditional league&quot; mock draft.I'm not here to squabble with the FFChamps rankings - in fact, I like the idea that esteemed Publisher Bo Mitchell has departed from the established norm - but I do think Mo-Jo is worthy of at least a top-three pick, and I personally have him at No. 2 on my running back cheat sheet.I asked Mr. Mitchell what the rationale for his lower-than-normal ranking was, and he responded with a typically well thought-out argument highlighted by these facts:1) He's never been a true feature back before.2) He's never carried the ball 200 times or reached 1,000 rushing yards.3) His YPC has decreased every season, and he tended to wear down in the 4th quarter of games last year.4) Rookie Rashad Jennings is bigger and might steal some of MJD's short touchdown scampers.5) He's too small and might break down with the additional workload.Points 1-3 are all valid and indisputable facts. Arguments 4 &amp; 5 are debatable, but defendable. Actually, No. 4 isn't... Jones-Drew has been one of the most effective short-yardage backs in football since joining the league three years ago. According to STATS, Inc., he scored on every one of his eight carries from inside the three-yard line a year ago, so I don't think the Jags will remove him from that role.&nbsp;I could present further arguments on the other side, of course, but that's not really my point here. Part of what struck me about Bo's response was the idea that having never been a featured runner or never having topped 200 carries is a bad thing. This is an argument I've seen many times, and it may be somewhat valid, but without doing any sort of in-depth statistical analysis I'd venture to guess this is a good thing more often than not. It's one of the arguments we used against Michael Turner last year, and we all saw how that turned out. We knocked DeAngelo Williams for being too small and never having proven he could shoulder a full load (among other things), and look what happened.&nbsp;Sure, there are examples going the other way as well (Marion Barber proved incapable of carrying the ball more frequently last year), but I've stopped believing that players who have a proven track record of success and have displayed obvious talent will automatically fail to live up to expectations when handed a more prominent role. I'll take the glass half-full view on Mo-Jo, and for the same reason I won't hesitate to grab Pierre Thomas and Derrick Ward, both of whom are in similar situations, a tick ahead of where the general public seems to be ranking them.&nbsp;]]></description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:56:53 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Peterson]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>How Early is Too Early?</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/EF7EE4C9-07AF-C410-174A7B14DB8C7E53</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/EF7EE4C9-07AF-C410-174A7B14DB8C7E53</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[While it's never too early to start preparing for the fantasy football season ahead, there is definitely such a thing as &quot;too early&quot; when it comes to holding your league's draft or auction. I know of some leagues that have their drafts soon after the NFL&nbsp;conducts their's at the end of April. That's just plain silly!&nbsp;Even drafting right now is a tad ridiculous. And I'm not talking about mock drafts, either. Mocks are always an effective tool for getting ready for the real thing...which should happen in August at the earliest. To clarify, I am not completely against holding fantasy football rookie drafts for those in dynasty and keeper leagues in June or July; however, it's still best to wait whenever possible. As far as non-rookie drafts go (meaning 99 percent of the fantasy drafts out there) holding them prior to August will mean drafting before you know all that can be gleaned from preseason games and training camps. Think of all that remains unsettled. There are&nbsp;numerous position battles that remain to be fought out in camps and&nbsp;preseason games.&nbsp; Depth charts are not even close to being finalized. Most of the rookies remain unsigned. We still don't know for sure whether Brett Favre will be a Viking, Brandon Marshall will remain a Bronco, Anquan Boldin will remain a Cardinal, or Braylon Edwards will remain a Brown. Will Michael Vick play this season? What about Plaxico Burress? Will Tom Brady truly be 100 percent once the hitting starts? When will Brian Westbrook be ready to play? The later your league holds your draft, the better chance there is of knowing the answers to these, and myriad other, questions. Then there's the injury factor. The disappointment and frustration of drafting a player the last week in July only to see him shred his knee in the team's second preseason game can't be measured. I've seen it happen too many times and it's never fun for anyone.We know you are excited to get started; so are we.&nbsp; But at what cost?&nbsp; Just wait until August, late August if possible. Early September works even better.&nbsp; Week 1&nbsp;doesn't kick off&nbsp;until September 10 this year, so there's plenty of time.&nbsp; In the meantime, I suggest&nbsp;getting your drafting fix here at FFChamps, by doing some mock drafts&nbsp;using the industry's best mock draft tool.&nbsp;No, it's not the real thing, but the real thing is worth the wait...with the emphasis on &quot;wait.&quot;]]></description>
				<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:33:39 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bo Mitchell]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Pay Day</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/D59465D6-188B-81BE-138B65E1D972C6E2</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/D59465D6-188B-81BE-138B65E1D972C6E2</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[Donovan McNabb got paid.Thank you Jeff Lurie. McNabb restructured the final two years of his contract, resulting in about a $5 to $6 million raise from his previous contract. This is great news for everyone involved. Let's break down the involved parties:Donovan McNabb - While he was looking for a contract extension so he can finish his career in Philadelphia, instead he got a strong committment from management to him for the next two years. While this probably won't completely put his mind at ease, he should not be a distraction this season. McNabb has been the leader in that locker room for some time now, and this will allow him to take an even bigger role now that Brian Dawkins is no longer an Eagle.The Eagles Front Office - What do you do when you feel like you have a Super Bowl roster today, but need to fix a situation with an unhappy quarterback looking for an extension? You do exactly what the Eagles did This was pure genius for the front office. With no glaring needs or high-profile free agents, the Eagles can spare the cap room and make McNabb happy. In addition, they aren't committing any more years to a QB who hasn't thrown more than 23 TD passes or won more than nine regular season games in four years. The Eagles need McNabb this year, and maybe next. They do not need, nor want him any longer than that.The Eagles Offense - Look no further than the two interceptions and 73 passing yards Kevin Kolb put together in a half against Baltimore last year to realize how badly the Eagles need McNabb. He is no longer an elite quarterback in this league, but he is by far the best option on the Philadelphia roster. With the additions of LT Jason Peters, WR Jeremy Maclin and RB LeSean McCoy, this will be one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL this year. While McNabb's new contract only slightly improves his and his teammates' fantasy value, it increases my ability to tolerate his press conferences by a factor of about 1000. Again, thank you Jeff Lurie. Thank you!]]></description>
				<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:46:49 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Mckee]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>The Place to Be</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/christian/entry/C158AC1C-CF57-5EB9-F5DB3F75067123CC</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/christian/entry/C158AC1C-CF57-5EB9-F5DB3F75067123CC</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[Allow myself to introduce&hellip; myself. I&rsquo;m Christian Peterson. You may remember me from such previous websites as Fanball.com, but probably not. More likely, you&rsquo;ll vaguely remember seeing my name atop various articles and in mock drafts here on FantasyFootballChamps dating back to last summer, when I was brought on by highly-esteemed and critically-acclaimed publisher Bo Mitchell to put fingers to keyboard on a semi-regular basis. I&rsquo;ll leave the other details of my long and sordid past to the bio under my mug on this very blog.
I&rsquo;ll be checking in here at CP&rsquo;s Place (sometimes referred to as &ldquo;The Place to Be,&rdquo; only it lacks the pool table and, fortunately, the male supportive undergarments made popular by Frank Costanza)&nbsp; from time-to-time with thoughts on essentially whatever crosses my mind as we approach yet another fantasy football season.
And so this introductory blog post isn&rsquo;t just complete and total fluff, I&rsquo;ll part with a few words about the Schedule Analysis pieces I wrote over the last several weeks here at FFC. In the introductory article, I point out that it&rsquo;s important not to overemphasize a players&rsquo; schedule, and that the best use of any schedule analysis is to break ties between two players you might otherwise rank similarly. While this is, indeed, true, it&rsquo;s only true because we can&rsquo;t predict with much accuracy which defenses will be good from year to year.
That said, I&rsquo;m starting to think analyzing the schedule is in fact a much more important aspect of fantasy success. Every single season I find myself kicking&hellip; myself a few weeks into the year when my studs are facing the likes of the Steelers and Ravens and I&rsquo;m facing opponents stocked with players who are instead facing the Raiders, Chiefs, and NFL Wests&rsquo; of the world. Of course, we always know much more about certain players &ndash; and the defenses they face &ndash; several weeks into the season, but it&rsquo;s silly to dismiss schedule analysis entirely at the beginning of the year when it&rsquo;s arguably the most important aspect of week-to-week roster management.
In other words, I think it&rsquo;s extraordinarily important to analyze schedules very carefully, which is why I&rsquo;ll be expanding on the topic in the coming weeks on the main site here at FFC. While you wait for that, there are a couple of defenses (in addition to those outlined previously) that could be fantasy killers this season:
Washington Redskins: The Skins ranked just outside the threshold for inclusion in the &ldquo;Run Stoppers&rdquo; category of my previous analysis. Washington has ranked inside the top 10 vs. fantasy running backs three times in the last five years, but two 16th-place finishes in 2005 and 2006 skewed their five-year numbers the wrong way. But considering they ranked sixth and eighth against the run before adding arguably the single most impactful run-stopper in the NFL (Albert Haynesworth) and a stud rookie DE (Brian Orakpo) during the offseason, this is a defense that could be mentioned in the same breath as the Steelers, Ravens, and Vikings in terms of shutting down opposing running backs this season.
New York Jets: For three years heading into last season, the Jets were awful against the run, ranking 29th, 23rd, and 28th from 2005-2007. But a series of savvy offseason moves prior to last year really paid off, as DT Kris Jenkins and LB Calvin Pace quickly transformed the unit into the fifth-most fantasy unfriendly run defense in the NFL. The Jets lost the architect of their 3-4 system when Eric Mangini left town, but they replaced him with perhaps an even better defensive guru. New head coach Rex Ryan oversaw the fantasy-killing Ravens as the defensive coordinator since 2005 and has a ton of talent to work with in New York, from the previously-mentioned duo to Bart Scott (brought over from Baltimore) and Vernon Gholston, who has obvious talent despite his horrible rookie campaign a year ago.
If the Jets and Redskins meet their obvious potential, we could be looking at as many as five defenses&nbsp; you won&rsquo;t want your fantasy running backs to face under any circumstances.&nbsp;]]></description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:29:32 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Christian Peterson]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Looking Good in Shorts</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/C0838BD7-1143-5A58-5FDAB68FFD350C98</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/C0838BD7-1143-5A58-5FDAB68FFD350C98</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[I didn't mean to frighten anyone away with that headline. No, I'm not referring to myself when I say &quot;looking good in shorts,&quot; though my wife my argue that I do and that's all that matters to me. But I digress. What I am referring to with the &quot;looking good in shorts&quot; headline is the tendency to overreact to news coming out of OTA's and minicamps at this time of year. This can happen both positively and negatively. Hearing about players who are in the &quot;best shape of their career&quot; is common at the start of summer. Those players inevitably wind up getting hurt. Or so it seems. Even if they avoid injury, it's best not to overreact to&nbsp;June hyperbole. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard about a player in the best shape of his career in June, I'd add a gym onto my house so I could get in the best shape of my career. You need to be in good shape to write, you know.Seriously, players are running around with shorts on in minicamp. And there's no contact. Well, ok, there's not supposed to be any contact per league rules, but it's a thinly-veiled secret that there's already some contact going on prior to training camps. Still, there's not a lot of contact, and until players are out there in full uniform going full speed and hitting one another it's hard to make any sweeping judgments.&nbsp;Being in shape is different than being in football shape. Ask any player.Therefore, when I hear about&nbsp;guys like Marques Colston or Reggie Bush looking good in Saints minicamp this past weekend, I have to stifle a yawn. It means almost nothing. Both are coming off of microfracture knee surgeries... and I have yet to see a player not have trouble coming back from said procedure. I will await final fantasy&nbsp;evaluation until the reviews trickle in from training camp and preseason games. Similarly, the Colts Anthony Gonzalez hurt his leg over the weekend in practice. Yawn! The word is he might be back in practice this week and the last I checked they don't play a game that counts until September.There are exceptions, of course. Brian Westbrook undergoing ankle surgery that may sideline him much of the preseason is news. Big news. I have heard some say that he will be absolutely fine by the time the season starts. I have heard others suggest he will not be 100 percent all season. Judging by the number of injuries he has had, the&nbsp;length of time they have lingered (he injured this ankle last September), and the fact that he turns 30 before the season starts, I am officially concerned.As a rule, however, remember&nbsp;that&nbsp;while it is important to stay abreast of the news at this time of year so that you know what to look for once training camps begin, it's imperative not to overreact to the little injuries and the glowing reviews of players looking good in shorts.Bo Mitchell is a member of the FSWA]]></description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:37:05 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bo Mitchell]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Wildcat Hype</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/9D07BE5F-188B-81BE-131362AC376011C9</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/bo/entry/9D07BE5F-188B-81BE-131362AC376011C9</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[The Miami Dolphins made a splash last year by&nbsp;rolling out&nbsp;the widcat offense to upset the Patriots in Week 3.&nbsp; It mattered to fantasy owners because the game made a one-week fantasy monster out of Ronnie Brown, as he rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another.&nbsp; He single-handedly decided games that week. Brown would only score six touchdowns the rest of the season and the wildcat offense failed to take the league by storm, leaving many to write off the&nbsp;whole idea. No doubt the single-wing gadget plays&nbsp;that&nbsp;are run&nbsp;in the wildcat are gimmicky. Warren Sapp even called them disrespectful. The scheme has never consistently worked&nbsp;beyond the college football level, but there is no&nbsp;rule that&nbsp;it can't; especially when you have an increasing number of &quot;slash&quot; like players entering the league. The Dolphins aren't letting the offense go. Rather they are seeking to augment it in 2009, and they drafted&nbsp;wide receiver/quarterback&nbsp;Pat White to help them in that regard. The Ravens dabbled in&nbsp;it effectively with Troy Smith last season. Now the Vikings are practicing the formation in minicamp with Percy Harvin taking the snaps. Other teams like the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Raiders (Darren McFadden ran it in college at Arkansas) are rumored to be considering it as well. One other name that is starting to crop up in wildcat discussions: Michael Vick. He may be available to return to the NFL soon and the wildcat offense would seem to suit his skill set perfectly. In short, I think the wildcat offense is not going away any time soon. I don't know that it's going to revolutionize NFL offenses, but at a minimum it will force defenses to have more wrinkles to prepare for. For instance, the Vikings may run it just enough to give opposing defenses fits because it will be just another way to get Harvin and Adrian Peterson on the field at the same time. Talk about a defensive coordinator's nightmare! Will it change the way I draft my teams this year? No, not really. But I'll be keeping an eye on the wildcat this preseason,&nbsp;and&nbsp;I'll be prepared to change player values here at FFChamps&nbsp;if need be. The more likely scenario is that&nbsp;the widlcat&nbsp;may start impacting player values and&nbsp;in-season pickups this season and&nbsp;the offense may have a meaningful&nbsp;fantasy draft day impact as soon as next&nbsp;year.&nbsp;]]></description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:14:39 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Bo Mitchell]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
				 
				
					
					
				
			<item>
				<title>Career Year</title>
				<link>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/8A88B722-9C1D-B185-C5AA81800890E995</link>
				<guid>http://www.fantasyfootballchamps.com/index.cfm/blog/kevin/entry/8A88B722-9C1D-B185-C5AA81800890E995</guid>
				<description><![CDATA[Tom Brady took the practice field for the first time today since he suffered a torn ACL in the season opener last year, and reports are saying that he is walking without a limp and the knee appears to be in very good health.As of today, his ADP is 3.04 as the second QB taken off the board. Some may question why a healthy Tom Brady with new weapons like Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor isn't a first round pick.&nbsp;This is a message to all those people hoping for another 50 TD season from Brady; it's not gonna happen.Let me explain a concept that many fantasy football owners struggle to grasp: the &quot;career year&quot;. They call it a &quot;career year&quot; because it only happens once a career. Dan Marino threw 48 TDs in 1984 and just 30 in 1985. Kurt Warner threw 41 touchdowns in 1999 and just 21 in 2000. Daunte Culpepper threw 39 TDs in 2004 and has thrown 17 total since that season. Yes, both Marino and Warner had subsequent spectacular fantasy seasons, but they never again matched the success of their career year. The most logical comparison we can make is Brady to Peyton Manning. Manning threw between 26 and 33 TD passing in all of his first six seasons, and then exploded for 49 in 2004. Some people got the idea that Peyton's career year was not an outlier, but the establishment of a new norm. Manning was drafted in the middle of the first round in 2005 and had.... 28 TD passes. In fact, since that one career year, Manning has thrown between 27 and 31 touchdown passes in the last four seasons. Excluding Brady's 50 TD season, he never threw more than 28 TD passes in six seasons as a starter.I was preaching this last year when Brady was a completely healthy first round pick returning to essentially the same offense. Now he is 32, he is still recovering from knee surgery, and has a new offensive coordinator.I have a feeling that as we start hearing more reports of Tom Brady staying healthy and practicing, people are going to start thinking about that 50 TD season and Brady will start climbing up the draft boards. Don't buy into it. We have Brady ranked in the middle of the top tier of passers for a reason; he's good for about 3700 yards passing and 28 TD passes. Let's keep him there.]]></description>
				<pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2009 23:02:46 CST</pubDate>
				<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Mckee]]></dc:creator>
			</item>
			
		</channel>
	</rss>