Free Agency Grades

I know I am not alone when I say that I am thrilled to have football back in my life. The last week has been great with all of the additions and subtractions teams have been making. I want to take a look at the AFC East and get you all up to speed on winners and losers within the division.

Winners:

New EnglandPatriots
Bellichik is at it again! The signing of Albert Haynesworth and the acquisition of Chad Ochocinco are two great moves. They address two major needs for this team and provide proven producers that seem to be already buying into “the patriot way”. Don’t underestimate the importance of the resigning of mainstay Matt Light along the Pats offensive line. Bringing back Light allows them to develop Solder and also allows him to learn from a guy who they hope he will eclipse in the very short future. The only problem I have with the past week forNew England is that they haven’t addressed the pass rushing need enough in my opinion. Relying on a total rebirth of Big Al (that’s what I’m calling him) is a lot to ask for given his recent “transgressions” and I expect them to continue to turn over rocks to find another pass rusher. They brought in Matt Roth for a workout who is a former Brown and Dolphin who I believe would be another solid signing for them. The law firm has also been resigned and they could benefit by bringing in another back however their lack of movement leads me to believe they are going to give the draft picks a shot. Let’s not forget this team was 14-2 last year and it has improved its roster by a good amount.

Grade: A-

BuffaloBills

Dare I say they are on the right track? This is a young team that is still trying to find its identity. They made the transition from being a 4-3 defense to implementing the 3-4 (a good move). The personnel on the team was still a mix of guys that were either tweeners or didn’t fit. They bring in nick Barnett off of a season ending injury who is only two years removed from being a top 3 inside linebacker according to pro football focus. They retained talented corner Drayton Florence and also signed former wide receiver/kick returner (he is listed as a QB on the depth chart) Brad Smith from the Jets. Gailey also brought in Tyler Thigpen from the Dolphins whom he had while he was in KC and who was the 15^th best QB (again according to pro football focus) in 2009. Are they there yet? Absolutely not, but they WILL win some games they aren’t supposed to this season.

Grade: B+

Losers

New YorkJets

Rex Ryan is never short on words and just recently he pleaded with the league for another team to beat the Patriots besides the Jets. I have a question for you Rex, who have you beaten in free agency? The answer to that would be very few teams, oh and your shin tattoo is gay….super gay. Resigning Santonio Holmes was no doubt crucial however you didn’t add any depth on the again over rated defensive line (I think the rookie DT they drafted is over rated) and your big move is Plaxico? Without a workout they have committed 3 million to a guy years removed form the NFL who wasn’t fast to begin with, and is a wrong club venue away from another suspension. On the other hand you let go Braylon Edward, another high character guy, who has proven to come up big in the playoffs the last two seasons for you. I’m sorry but I can’t give the Jets a great rating here.

Grade: C

MiamiDolphins

The Dolphins have been pretty busy in free agency and I want to preface this by stating that they actually addressed positions of need. However this rating will not be good for them. They cut Channing Crowder who was a one dimensional run stopper and could not play on 3^rd down with Kevin Burnett fromSan Diego. Burnett is a very solid signing who is above average in coverage and has an all around better game than Crowder so an upgrade to an already strong defense. The next need for this time was help on the interior line. They drafted Pouncey who will start at Center and has impressed in camp so far.  They have recently signed formerBostonCollege standout Marc Colombo.Colombo is coming off a rough year last year from injury but has worked with Dolphins coach Sparano before. Vernon Carey (starting RT last 7 years) will move inside to RG and fulfill yet another need forMiami. The team needed more speed so they drafted Edmund Gates and traded for Reggie Bush. Gates will mostly be a special teams player returning punts and have a deep route here and there. Bush is supposed to be “the guy”? This baffles me and while I fully anticipate rookie Daniel Thomas to develop into a solid running back, I don’t expect Bush to be the guy because quite frankly, he never has been. So why did they lose in my opinion you ask? They STILL do not have a quarterback. Balking on the Kyle Orton trade has the fan base chanting for him while Henne stinks it up at Dolphins practices. The team brought in Matt Moore, which would be the equivalent of trying to get revenge at your girlfriend by taking out a girl with a deformity.  This my friends is no an upgrade. So while the Dolphins have improved in need positions, it is a quarterback driven league and they have done nothing.

Grade: D

AFC East Free Agency Forecast

As with the NFL, and most recently the NBA, I have locked myself out of writing any posts for an extended period of time. However, with all of this hullabaloo (yea I said it) seemingly coming to an end with the NFL, I figured I would share some of my feelings with you.  You will have to keep in mind the whole restricted/unrestricted thing may change with a new CBA and some guys that I may list could be off limits. 

That being said The AFC East seems to be getting more competitive. The Jets are making a run of becoming the Eagles of this decade by losing two consecutive conference championships in a row. The Patriots still have Tom Brady and the young defense is starting to get it. The Dolphins defense looks to be even better this coming year and if they had a clue on offense could contend. The Buffalo Bills are no longer a scheduled win on the schedule and have a lot of young talent to steal some wins away.  Today I will be focusing on the offensive side of the ball and give you some names to look out for.

It would seem that there would only be two teams in the market for a quarterback, however the Bills seem to be standing by Fitzpatrick and in my opinion it’s the best move that Gailey has made since he’s been there.Miamiwill most likely be looking to land a veteran, some names I could see ending up inSouthBeachwould be Carson Palmer, Vince Young, Matt Hasslebeck, and possibly Mcnabb. I think the best fit would be Palmer however both he and Mike Brown seem to be sticking to their guns. I can’t see Palmer retiring and for the right price I think Brown would pull the trigger. Bottom line, Henne will probably start next year andMiamiwill run the ball about 60 times a game.

The running back position will probably see the most movement especially in this division.New Englandneeds more balance and an injection of some youth in the backfield. The law firm was great last season but with Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris applying for social security and Kevin Faulk most likely retiring, they need one or two guys to fill the void. The Jets simply cannot rely on LT and Shonn Greene to shoulder the load. They drafted McKnight out of USC last year and he struggled getting into the offense.Miami, similair toNew Englandneeds one or two backs. They drafted Daniel Thomas out ofKansasStateand the remaining backs from their roster are all free agents (Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Lex Hilliard).Buffaloseems to be the most stable at the position and may add someone to replace Fred Jackson

DeAngelo Williams is the biggest name and best buy in my opinion. I have sources (I really do) that have reported that Williams bought a home inMiami….coincidence? Probably, if I had the money I would have a home inSouthBeachtoo. That being saidMiamihas spent the most money in free agency almost every offseason in the past five years and I have a feeling Williams will end up inMiami. Another big name that will have some rumors swirling around it will be Reggie Bush. All signs point to the Saints moving on and you can’t tell me that a coordinator wouldn’t be able to find use for him.  Look for a Darren Sproles sighting in the AFC East next year as well. I could seeNew Englandlanding either player. Both can catch the ball out of the backfield and have the explosiveness that the current wide receivers are lacking. Ahmad Bradshaw would also be a good fit for the Patriots as well with his downhill running still. The Jets may want the players I just listed as well as any of the Ricky and Ronnie duo from the Phins. I could seeBuffalotaking a flyer on a guy like Mike Tolbert or Michael Bush to replace the hard nose runner they may be losing with Fred Jackson’s possible departure.

The wide receiver position will be interesting. The Jets would be dumb to not re-sign Santonio Holmes and they would be just as smart to re-sign Braylon Edwards. Edwars catches a lot of criticism and rightfully so, for his dropoff after his monster 2008 season. However towards the end of last season he came around. His catch against Indy was huge and if he does become a free agent he would command some decent cash from teams.New Englandcould be looking to add the stretch the field asset they once had with Randy Moss. Could that be Vincent Jackson? If so, there is no reason this team couldn’t make another Super Bowl run.MiamiaddedMarshalllast season and also drafted the speed guy they were lacking in Edmund Gates. They probably won’t be making a move for a wideout, however there has been some politicking going on from Brandon Marshall to add his best friend and ex-college teammate Mike Sims-Walker.Buffaloneeds another guy to help out Steve Johnson and lee Evans. They could be in the market for a guy like James Jones from Green Bay who I think is a poor mans Brandon Marshall, he is a big physical receiver just not a lot of speed.

I don’t see a lot of big time tight ends going anywhere. I also don’t see a huge need for the position within the division.New Englanddrafted a great pair with Gronkowski and Hernandez and should be set. The Jets have Dustin Keller and don’t use him enough in my opinion. The Dolphins could certainly use an upgrade at the position to help free up Fasano from blocking all the time. The Buffalo Bills have a number of young guys and could definitely bring in a guy like Owen Daniels who may move on from the Texans.

Offensive line will be interesting in this division. The biggest story will be what will happen with Logan Mankins. IfNew Englandparts ways with him depending on if they can and will franchise him again they have an issue in the middle of that line. They are very strong on the outside with Volmer and the new giant Solder on the other side. Light may resign for a hometown discount, but I’m not sure either side will be keen on that. The Jets lost Damien Woody and both Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano would love to add the high priced guard. If Mankins is off the table look forMiamito go after Davin Joseph hard. Carl Nicks, Ryan Kalil, and Harvey Dahl are all quality guys that again may or may not be available.  I’m not sure ifBuffalowould be in the bidding for Mankins but they could certainly use a tackle. The best options at Tackle are Tyson Calbo, Jared Gaither, and Doug Free. Who knows,Buffalocould keep Matt Light in the division and let Cameron Wake abuse him some more. Center is pretty solid in this division,Miamidrafted Pouncey to be their center in the first round of the draft  and the other teams in the division are pretty decent up the middle. If they wanted to upgrade they could try to pick up Olin Kruetz or Samson Satele, howeverMiamishipped Satele out of the division because he couldn’t handle the big nose tackles like Wilfork and Jenkins.

The Bills and Dolphins need the most help offensively ranking 28^th and 30^th in scoring offense but that doesn’t mean New England and New York won’t snag some of the players that I’ve listed. All four teams can improve in certain areas and it seems that we will soon be finding out who is going where.

Big Ben is the Best Quarterback of All Time…

Not even close!

Now that I have your attention let me take the time to dispel any momentum in this whole 3 Super Bowl ring nonsense. I am not about to run through the directory of quarterbacks that are better than Big Ben of all time, rather just today in the NFL. Here is the relatively short list in my opinion.

Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Phillip Rivers, and who the hell am I forgetting?

Tom Brady, you may have heard of him.

People, stop with the comparisons of rings! It’s absolute nonsense. To go off of Super Bowl rings and that achievement alone, is the equivalent of not watching your favorite team every week, and just reading the box scores! Think about it.

Barry Sanders- No Ring

Randy Moss- No Ring

Dan Marino- No Ring

Those three alone should tell you how you can’t possibly evaluate talent based on super bowl rings. Arguably the best at their given position depending on your opinion/homerism/man crush (hey Dan). 

This article is in no way trying to bash Roethlisberger. I am a huge fan of his, maybe not as much as the midwest college scene is, but a fan nonetheless. I think he is very good at what he does; extends plays, keeps his eyes downfield, scrambles and runs when he needs to. I just don’t think he is elite. There are two, possibly three elite quarterbacks in this league right now. Rodgers current playoff run is very impressive and he has all the tools to be an elite NFL quarterback. I think that Ben is a very good quarterback, nothing more, nothing less.

Roethlisberger had a great defense his whole career and that defense has helped him to a 10-2 playoff record. Extremely impressive. He makes big plays when it counts and isn’t afraid to take shots in big games. However, you can’t look at what he’s done from a box score perspective and say that he is even close to Tom Brady. Tom is just more talented, bottom line.

As much as I hate to agree with Callahan from WEEI,he said something that resonated with me this morning.  When comparing quarterbacks the easiest assessment can be done with the eyeball test. Very true, and in this specific case it fits perfectly. Both QB’s are playing in the same era at the same time. They’ve played against each other. If you took someone who has never watched a game of football in their life (Joe Buck maybe) sat them down and made them watch film there is no question they would say Brady.

I’ve spent too many words on this already, and I am aware that most educated sports fans know this. I just needed to get this off my chest because the Super Bowl Ring and box score perspective is something that I am personally sick of. I get that goal in the game of football is to win the Championship. However, in the ultimate team sport you cannot place that much weight on an achievement when evaluating talent.

 Are you going to watch the Super Bowl, or read the newspaper on February 7th?

Defense Still Wins Championships

Four teams are left in the NFL Playoffs and aside from that common thread they also share something else,  they all have great defenses.

These teams are respectively 1st (Pitt) 2nd (GB) 4th (Chicago) and 6th (NYJ) in pts allowed this season. If that weren’t enough to sway your opinion, only ONE has a top ten scoring offense, the Green  Bay Packers sit at ten.

Call it cliché, but its a fact.

Does it happen every single year, no look at New Orleans last season. However their defense was built off of turnovers and aggression and it paid off when it counted, ask Tracey Porter.  Do I have to bring up 2007? Having a great offense only assures that you will always have a shot to come back, not always a shot to win. If you can light up the score board but can’t stop anyone what good is it?  Having balance is the ultimate goal but I guarantee that if you polled every coach in the NFL what he’d rather have a dominant defense or a high scoring offense he will take the defense every time.

Having a great defense keeps you in every game. It gives a team the ability to travel well on the road as well as wingames in ugly weather battling the elements. Greats defense allow its offense to settle in and get used to the weather to make necessary adjustments. Both Green Bay and New York have won on the road this postseason and the Jets repeated the feat last season.

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Bress, the best quarterbacks in the league are all out of the playoffs and Philip Rivers didn’t even make it to the dance.

Defense wins championships and as sick as you may be of hearing it, nothing is going to change. Especially with how the NFL tailored the rules nowadays to favor the offensive side of the ball. Think about all of the restrictions placed on defensive players today as opposed to yesterday.  The five yard contact rule used to be a defensive back holding and pushing you down the sideline.  The forearm to the head back in the day will get you a hefty fine and if you do it again you’ll be suspended. Hitting a guy in the lower half of his body, fine and suspension.

With all of the restrictions being placed on defensive players defense is still the most important aspect of a game. It may not be as attractive as putting up a 50-burger on some team, but dominating the game and not allowing a team to do what they’ve game planned for all week, is much more impressive.

The four teams left have great defenses, the mistakes that they make will dictate this game, why you ask? Because defense wins championships. Am I excited about today? CAN’T WAIT

Fever Pitch…ing

Amazing! Shocking! Flabbergast-ing?(if thats a word)

All three words could be used when describing the Red Sox off-season moves. 

The Red Sox have no doubt put themselves in position to climb back atop the AL East and they did it in aggressive fashion. Theo and Co. wasted no time targeting the people they wanted, and did whatever it took in getting them.  There was a definite need in this lineup for some pop once Martinez and Beltre left or were assumed gone.  In come Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford.  I don’t have to get into what these two bring to the lineup, that is not my focus.

I really want to look at the pitching of this team, because believe it or not, that is what they needed the most!

In case you don’t believe me, here are some offensive stats for the Red Sox last season. In the true spirit of “the rivalry” I will include the Yankees stats as well.

Rankings reflect both AL and NL:

Batting avg.- Boston 7th  NY- 8th

Slugging% – Boston- 2nd  NY- 4th

On Base%- Boston- 4th  NY- 1st

Stolen Bases- Boston- 25th  NY- 12th

HR-  Boston- 2nd  NY-3rd

Runs- Boston- 2nd  NY- 1st

To recap, Boston’s offensive numbers were just as good and in a lot of cases better than the Yankees. Stolen bases will improve with a healthy Jacoby and even though Crawford can’t run against Varitek anymore he can still face Jorge’s squirt gun for an arm. When you think of the players that contributed to these statistics it is even more impressive, Darnell McDonald and  Ryan Kalish are the first two that come to mind. With the injuries throughout the lineup this team will no doubt be able to repeat and exceed last seasons numbers.

Pitching last season was not as great. Here are the rankings for how the Red Sox staff, yes the Yankees too.

ERA- Boston- 22nd  NY- 15th

Complete Games- Boston- 22nd  NY- 24th

WHIP- Boston- 16th  NY- 11th

Wins- Boston 10th  NY- 3rd

Opposing Batting Avg- Boston 17th  NY-12th

K/BB Ratio- Boston 22nd  NY- 16th

As you can see, and I realize you didn’t need these stats to know that, the Red Sox pitching staff was the problem last year. I love what the front office did with the bullpen. Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler have been closers and have pitched in big situations before. To help with the middle innings Boston acquired Matt Albers who was 1st among relievers that pitched more than one inning in a game. Albers will eat up middle innings and believe it or not he pitched some quality innings for the Orioles last season, yes I know that sounds like an oxymoron. I am praying that another lefty arm comes into the fold, one not named Lenny Dinardo. Sorry Lenny but the only thing cool about you is that we are kind of eskimo brothers, TRUE STORY.

With Beckett and Lackey into their 30′s a strong bullpen will no doubt help to keep them healthy, especially in the early part of the season. I full anticipate a strong comeback from both veterans.  The further development or Lester and Buchholz will be the key to this whole team. Big statement but no truer words have been spoken.  If Beckett and Lackey return to form and these two young pitchers improve on last season, this rotation will return to a top-tier unit. The fifth spot of the rotation will likely go to Dice-K by default by I would personally like to see FDub, yes that is his new name, start the season in the rotation this year.

Red Sox Nation seems to be back to full force and the expectations could not be higher in Boston. I am asking Santa for a lefty reliever for Christmas, what are you asking for?

Farley’s Fantasy 6.0

Really Indy??? First Dallas Clark goes on IR, then you inform us that Austin Collie is getting surgery.  Was there a group discount for arm and hand surgeries that week?

The bottom line is there are one or two managers that are scrambling for replacements this week. Let me give you a list of quick replacements available in most leagues that could fill these two slots. 

Tight ends

Todd Heap- Heap is likely available and if he is cleared to play after Merriweather’s attempted murder he is a viable option.

Jermaine Gresham- Gresham was on his way to bust-town before hauling in a couple of TD passes. Palmer likes him near the goal line and with his latest pic-feast in Tampa he could become captain check down and play it safe by feeding the tight end.

Rob Gronkowski- A lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon of Hernandez and rightfully so.  I still think both tight ends could be starting options if you have a bye week issue or are in a deep league.

Wide Receivers

Blair White- Notice I didn’t put up a tight end from Indy? Sure Tamme or Robinson will catch a TD here and there. However, when you are a fifth wide out getting looks over a second tight end it means one of two things. You are a star in the making, or you understand the offense better and you have Peyton’s trust. I’m going with option 2, White won’t be a bad option to keep an eye on in deeper formats. I’ll give A Gon some love too, this may be his last chance with Indy after a shaky two-year stretch with the club.

Patrick Crayton- With Legedu and Flloyd out Crayton put in a pretty impressive showing last week.  Recent news of Buster Davis being questionable only boosts Crayton’s value more.  This weekend he goes against a suspect Pats secondary, look for him to have a very solid game as I expect the Chargers to be playing from behind and slinging it in their normal fashion. 

Nate Washington- Washington could benefit most if Vince Young is out.  Kerry Collins is one of the best backups in the league and Washington is getting targeted in that offense already. I expect that number to go up with Collins at the helm.  Washington has 3 TDs this season and if that offense wasn’t so run oriented he would be a solid wr3 in fantasy formats.

 It is almost the halfway point through the season and its time to start taking some serious inventory on your roster.  See where you are weak and do what you have to strengthen tha position.  If you went running back heavy in the draft you probably have some guys that you can settle on and run with for the rest of the season.  If you followed my advice on Marshawn Lynch you now have a solid starting back in a shitty division who will get all the carries.  You’re welcome. My point is you are going to start sacrificing some depth to gain in areas where you are weak.  You may even have to move a big name to get more value.  Remember when you are looking for guys to add to your team check his matchups for the remainder of the season and you could find yourself in the winners circle my friend.

Fantasy Name of the Week

What Would Aromasho-do?

Farley’s Fantasy 5.0

Week 5 has come and gone and there are some big injuries and big names either coming back to your team, or hindering them.

Welcome back Ben Rapelessburger! Fresh off of his rapecation he will be back in the Starting lineup for the Steelers and is rewarded with a matchup against the Browns.  The only time I bring the Browns up is when I claim to “bring them to the super bowl”. I know what you’re thinking and the answer is, Yes, when I take a dump I announce it.

Speaking of dumps, if you’re not in a dynasty or five man keeper league its safe to dump JerMichael Finley. Finley went under the knife this week and what was thought to be a 3 week fix has turned into a likely stay on the IR. 

Another big injury in Green Bay is the possible missed start looming for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  All seems to be well as the gun slinger practiced today and was cleared by doctors.  Clay Matthews injury will not be mentioned because I am not in an IDP league and you shouldn’t be either.

I’m back on my diamonds in the rough steeze so please read the following guys you want to grab.

Deji Karim- Karim is MJD’s backup, well sort of. Rashad Jennings has been dinged up and in his playing time Karim has looked impressive.  With MJD’s wrist injury Karim could be a store away guy if you are in a deep league.

James Starks- I have been holding out on you guys for a couple of weeks with Starks.  Ever since Grant went down early in the season I have had Starks on my radar. Starks is a rookie running back that will be coming off the PUP list for the Packers after next week. I was going to wait one more week but I figured I would give you guys a head start on the competition.  Now while Brandon Jackson isn’t doing a terrible job as the fill-in for Grant.  When Marshawn Lynch was traded to Seattle there were a lot of grumblings from the Packers players and amongst the media in cheesetown.  If they were satisfied with Jackson would this be happening? Sure I could be blowing smoke, but with all of the free agents in the mean time that havent found a home since Grant went down, and running backs bein traded, why has Green Bay sat back?  James Starks is my answer and if you have room for him on your roster pick him up! If you don’t have room, drop Brian Westbrook, he’s 90!

Anthony Armstrong- If you watched ESPN’s top ten you would have seen Armstrong hauling in a bomb   from McNabb in the Packers game last Sunday (this highlight unfortunately does not contain him “doin the Dougie”).  Armstrong has shown flashes of a big play type of receiver. He is averaging 26.8 per catch and in an offense that desperately needs a big play, his opportunities should increase over the next few games.

Talking Trades

With the NFL trade deadline approaching I thought it would be a good time for me to share the most important thing when executing a trade mid-season. 

Playoff matchups are key- This is something that goes overlooked a lot.  If you are going to trade for someone make sure you check who they play in the final 3-4 weeks of the fantasy season.  Sure they may be playing the Bills in week 5, but who are they playing when you need him the most? This is one of the reasons I was low on Mendenhall and I don’t care what he’s done for you to this point in the season, I would try to trade him (SELL HIGH!!!). Mendenhall squares off against the Ravens, Bengals and Jets in week 13-15. 

BUY LOW

Sidney Rice and Vincent Jackson- The owners of these two must be stubborn if they still have them, (I have Jackson in 3 leagues FML right) now is the time to dangle that electric rabbit and pull them around the track. If you have a marginal guy that may have had a good week or are simply loaded at one position and need WR help, it may be worth throwing someone out there to make your team stronger for the playoffs.

Matt Schaub- Last week may have been his first week off of the fantasy blog post but I couldn’t leave him off again.  He has been up and down all season and with some undrafted guys playing well (Sanchez, Orton, Hill) you may be able to pry Schaub away for lesser value than in week three.  Remember, the answer to a trade never proposed is always no!

SELL HIGH

Rashard Mendenhall- I have already covered this but with Big Ben returning there will be more passes and as I mentioned earlier, his playoff schedule sucks!

Matt Forte- Yes, he’s been playing great and you probably got him at great value for the numbers he is putting up.  However, week 15 either the finals or semi finals of fantasy football he plays the Vikings, in the dome.  Minnesota’s run defense has been #1 4 out of the last 5 season, the season they weren’t number one you ask…..2nd! If your league finals are week 16 then Forte will be facing the Jets. Just a thought people.

Fantasy name of the week (an oldie but a goodie)

Texas Chainsaw Massquoi

Farley’s Fantasy 4.0

OK rough week at work and a lot has happened!

First we start with the obvious Moss to Minny move.  

So, to address the week I will first say that every Minnesota player not named Berrian has a boost in value after the trade.  Berrian, you suck beat it! Better yet rent a boat and take a cruise with JaMarcus Russell, invite some hookers and grab as much purple drank as you can find.  That is the only way you will make an impact on this team. Moss has Favre owners thanking their lucky stars they don’t have to wait for Sidney Rice to start the old bag.  This will help Peterson who is already having a great start to see less guys in the box.  Shiancoe will have more room to operate and although he may lose some goal line targets, I expect him to exploit the middle even more.  Harvin’s receptions should go up and he should see more opportunities under coverage similar to Shiancoe in the middle.  As for Moss, the throw it up style is what he was made for and he has the prefect quarterback to do it.  The only thing to keep an eye on is how far can Brett throw the ball these days?  The last few games I have questioned the veterans arm strength and if he can’t make the big throw, brace yourselves people….Tavaris the irrelevant Jackson would be a better option for Moss! Jackson has a huge arm and the old-school Vikings throw it up offense would work better with him.  The Monday night matchup is a tough one for Favre and co. but I think he will be fine.

I am not going to get into the studs and duds for this week quite frankly because I don’t feel like it. However the buy low sell high aspect is about to get broken the #@%! down right now!

Buy Low Sell High

Sell

Brandon Tate- I know what you’re thinking, I have been waiting to get Brandon Tate in my lineup since the Moss speculation and when the deal broke you think this is the opportunity! What if he sucks? Chances are if he is on your roster you have hopefully three other guys you have been playing over him anyway.  Tate’s value could take a major hit and it may get higher, but right now I say strike while the iron is hot.  Unless you are in a return yardage league trade him before he struggles with the opportunities he gets.  Plus, in my personal opinion the two tight ends made out in this deal, not Tate.

Lesean McCoy- The guys got a broken rib so his value may not be as high as you need it to be, however his stat line is very impressive. If you have RB depth or can trade for one, I would advise it.  Philly’s offense with Kolb is more pass oriented and if Vick misses considerable time McCoy will see less touches on the ground.  McCoy is kind of a tweener with this section because depending on your opinion he could be a great buy low option for an owner who is scared by the rib injury and has RB depth. 

Brandon Lloyd- Lloyd had a monster of a game this weekend with 11 grabs for 100+ yds. Denver’s offense has been throwing the ball at record pace!  The only problem I have with Lloyd is his track record.  He has been in the league for so long and owners have been waiting for him to break out.  He has great size and adequate speed to be a potential stud but it hasn’t happened. Is this the year? I can’t answer that but I can go based on the facts.  Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and Demaryius Thomas who is getting first round money are all competing for catches.  My advice would be to deal Lloyd now and cash in on this waiver wire gem. 

BUY

Ray Rice- Rice has been putting up sub-par numbers especially for a 3rd or 4th overall pick.  Chances are if you have him on your roster you have been struggling with the thought of possibly dealing your stud.  If you don’t have him on your roster you are licking your chops to hopefully take advantage of a dumb owner who is willing to part with his star player.

Michael Crabtree- I know I hate him too. If you have this guy on your roster you would gladly give him away for a handy and a slap in the face, odd combination I know.  That is the point of this column, you have to buy low on guys exactly like him.  Listen you could get Crabtree at a ridiculous cost, he may even be on the waiver wire right now.  My point is you don’t have to give up much to get a potential WR 2 option that will no doubt help you if you are strapped for a receiver.

Mike Sims-Walker- Same situation as Crabtree besides the fact that MSW actually had one good week.  The Jags put up 30 on Indy last week and he got nothing! I doubt that it happens again and if the offense starts to click and Garrard keeps his chron’s disease in check Walker could benefit.  Sell a ham sandwich for this guy and add solid depth to your roster.

Fantasy name of the week

Peyton does Dallas

Farley’s Fantasy 3.0

Sorry for the delay people, believe it or not NTCF doesn’t pay me for my genius!

OK, hope everyone’s week two was just a little less awful than mine.  NO I don’t, I hope you all went 1-4. Yes, that’s right, five leagues people, it’s called dedication!

Studs:

Mike Vick-  I have to give Vick a lot of credit for the way he’s been playing lately. He is becoming the fantasy stud so many people reached for in the past. The main difference in my opinion is Andy Reid. He has Vick looking like a quarterback that can run and not a running back that can throw.  Vick torched the Jags for 291 yds passing and 3 TD’s and added a rushing TD along with 30 yds on the ground. 

Anquan Boldin- If Q were on another team he would be one of my favorite players in the NFL hands down.  He is one of the best in the league at running after the catch as well as coming back from a broken face in record time.  Honestly, every time I see that hit from the Jets game where he gets smoked I cringe.  Then I wonder how he came back in two weeks! The guy is a beast and his performance last week shows you the potential of the Ravens offense.  Boldin chimed in for 8 catches 142 yds and 3 TD’s.  Baltimore will have to pass this weekend against the steel curtain.

Austin Collie- Here are some numbers for you- 27 Catches 359 yards and 4 TD’s. That is the season Austin Collie is having thus far.  Here are some more numbers for you- 14 catches 172 yards, 0 TD’s; 6 catches 81 yds, 0 TD’s; 18 catches 181 yds, 0 TD’s.  Those three fantasy busts to this point are Marques Colston, Michael Crabs-I am giving him this name because I would almost rather have Crabs than to have Crabtree on my roster at this point, TRUE STORY, and finally Steve(he has always been and will always be the other) Smith.  All three of these guys were drafted well ahead of the White Knight.  Collie had an outstanding game against the Broncos hauling in 12 passes for 172 yds and 2 TD’s. The capital of Texas has seemed to pass Garcon’ as the teams number two, and with Wayne getting double teamed worse than Matt Dillon in Wild Things, he has more importantly got Peyton’s trust, not to mention his fantasy owners.

Peyton Hillis- I can’t wait to her the AP and CJ owners whine after this ranking.  When a running back goes against the Baltimore Ravens defense and breaks one hundred yards it’s a big deal.  When a white glorified fullback gashes them for 144 yds rushing with 1 TD along with 36 yds receiving on 7 catches it’s an event! I couldn’t believe my eyes watching the tracker on the bottom of the television. I thought Hillis’ uncle Remus worked in the CBS truck or something.  For all of you that drafted Jerome Harrison…you deserve this.

Duds:

Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark- I know I wrote about how Wayne was double teamed, but whats Clark’s excuse?  When you’re a stud wideout there are few times when you aren’t double teamed. Wayne had 4 catches for 65 yards and had a front row seat to the Austin Collie show. The Clark matchup was favorable in my opinion and going against him I was scared.  Lucky for my opponent Clark’s 5 catch 44 yd performance was plenty to beat my abortion of a team this weekend. 

Jahvid Best- You can give me the injury excuse all you want, but ask yourself this question…did owners know about this before the game? The answer is obviously no and if you had him on your team you were probably thin on running backs in the first place for starting him against the best run defense in football the past five years.  26 yds rushing and 13 receiving do not make a fantasy stud. 

Matt Schaub- It seems that Schaub loves this column.  Only problem is he’s been on the shit end of it more than he has been praised.  His 241 yards were disappointing and the fact that 100 of them came in a comeback effort in the fourth quarter means it should have been a lot worse.  Oh and don’t forget that interception for a negative two points, hurts when you lose by one! Screw you Matt, I can’t quit you!

I will not be going into the diamond in the rough portion of this article but I will give you some names before introducing a new idea that I had.  Three guys I think should be picked up are:

 The law offices of BenJarvis Green Ellis, Stephen Williams, and Ryan Torain.

BUY LOW SELL HIGH

That’s right people, this is absolutely my favorite game in fantasy football.  A brief background of me- I am a salesman, I love selling people, and in fantasy football there is no greater feeling than low-balling the shit out of some idiot because his guy had a rough start.  This is what wins you championships gentleman.

Sell

Tim Hightower- Listen I am not saying this guy is done for the season.  However, Beanie Wells at 80% last week was much more effective vs a bad team.  Last week was Hightower’s chance to outshine Wells and maintain the number one spot if not for just one more week, even though Wells was a little banged up.  I still think Hightower has some good games left in him, but by trading him now you are taking advantage of his stock while it’s still higher than a guy like Marshawn Lynch or the aforementioned Green Ellis.  If you can get a bona fide starter for Hightower than it will be a good deal.

Thomas Jones- Jones had 95 yards rushing last week and a TD.  There have been numerous reports of a time share and depth charts have him listed as the number one.  The Jamal Charles hype is starting to wear off and you need to take advantage of this because Charles will be in charge soon (buy low).  The Chiefs are trying to save JC for the long haul and the time share will end when the fantasy playoffs start.

Kyle Orton, Matt Ryan and  Mike Vick- That’s right people, quarterbacks are the best bargaining chips in the game.  I list these three quarterbacks because most likely out of the three only Matt Ryan was drafted as the starter for your team. At this point in the season Guys with quarterback problems are scrambling to find one.  Chances are, if you own one of these three, you have another guy on your team with higher value.  You have the option, no, you have the luxury to either run with the three listed here and sell your high value quarterback, or trade one of these waiver wire gems for a possible stud.  The choice is yours.

BUY

Larry Fitzgerald- Fitz hasn’t been playing poorly at all, but he hasn’t been a stud either.  With Steve Breastonplants going under the knife and Early Doucett’s tardy return, Fitzgerald will continue to build on his high target ratio.  Stephen Williams will be the number two and Fitzgerald owners are probably willing to take a flier on an over-achieving wideout with some other value he may need. You won’t regret trading for Fitz esp if you are in a keeper league.

Ben Rapelessburger- I didn’t feel like spelling his name and it makes sense, no? Listen the guy who has him had to draft a starter he was high on because he pretty much wasted a roster spot for five weeks (I counted the bye week geniuses).  Now is the time to try to trade for Big Ben if you are in quarterback trouble.  You could potentially land a guy who threw for 4,00 yards a year ago.  Here is some more food for thought. The Steelers play Baltimore, Cincy, and the Jets in the three playoff weeks; think they can run? Pick Ben up now boys and thank me later.

Maurice Jones-Drew- MJD owners are no doubt frustrated with their stud back. Bottom-line, he plays Indy this weekend Buffalo the next and is the only player on his team aside from that other hyphenated bust that is going to score.  Now I know its Friday but it is early in the morning, get on the laptops gentleman!!!

Fantasy Name of the week:

Lofa Bread Tatupu Platter

Farley’s Fantasy Football 2.0

Happy waiver Wednesday everyone!

There were a lot of big performances in week 2. So many that the studs portion of this post will be a bit larger than last week.  I must first address something that I was totally wrong on.  I excluded Mike Vick from my week one diamonds in the rough section because I, along with everyone else in the league, figured that Kolb would resume his role as starting quarterback this coming Sunday.  After another strong performance from Vick and a handjob of a press conference from Andy Reid who so eloquently put that Vick is simply, “playing out of his mind right now”, I retract that statement and apologize.  Vick looks like a real quarterback for the moment and if you jumped on him early good for you.  If you need a quarterback stay tuned because the diamond in the rough section will feature one, maybe two.

As for the top performers from week 2:

Studs

1. Matt Schaub- If you read the column last week you will remember how I said Schaub and Andre Johnson will torch the Redskins.  497 yds and 3 TD’s later I will pat myself on the back.  Some people were worried about the low attempts from week one, but make no mistake, this Houston offense is for real and is running like a well-oiled machine right now.  When Owen Daniels gets healthy every starter on this team is a must start in my opinion. From Arian Foster to Neil Rackers, Start em!

2. Andre Johnson- Listen, Johnson is a beast, he sprains his ankle during a solid performance and on a 4th and ten jumps through the ceiling to catch a TD.  Don’t worry about the ankle sprain he will rest enough this week and continue to toy with defensive backs.

3. Jahvid Best- Best is a bright surprise this season and if you’ve got him on your roster you are no doubt a happy owner.  He is the total package and contributed this weekend with 78 yds rushing, 154 recieving, 9 catches and 3 total TD’s. 

4. Lesean McCoy- McCoy had a great day, as expected vs the Lions, running for 120 yds and 3 TD’s. I was worried about McCoy’s opportunities given the fact that Andy Reid likes to chuck it 50 times a game.  Vick actually helps to balance the offensive game plan for the Eagles so I would expect McCoy’s role be extended.

5. Jason Snelling- You’ve got to give massive props to Snelling.  After the burner went down Snelling stepped in and dominated! He amassed 129 yds on the ground 57 yds receiving with 3 total TD’s.  If Turner is out for an extended period of time than Snelling has great value. Unfortunately, all signs point to Turner being fine for this weekend.

Duds

1. Chris Johnson- Johnson was totally shut down by the Steelers defense and saw his 12 game streak of 100 yds rushing come to an end.  Johnson ran for 34 yds and only managed one catch for 19. I don’t expect him to be on this list much and you couldn’t expect much production from him going against the steel curtain.

2. Maurice Jones-Drew- MJD personally hurt me this weekend, however I had Andre and Schaub clean up his mess . Jones-Drew is definitely a concern for his owners so far. The whole Jags offense has been awful and without a passing threat he will be seeing 9 in the box.  He had 48 total yards and only one catch.  He is normally a PPR stud and his lack of catches is a reflection of David Garrard.  I would not try to trade him at all but with his stock this low you would be a fool.

3. Joe Flacco- Flacco was downright terrible Sunday.  Don’t think I am putting him in the same burp as Tom Brady, but after watching film of the Bengals pass defense, how do you throw for only 154 yds and 4 picks??Hopefully you drafted a contingency plan because with all of these weapons he is not producing.

Diamonds in the Rough

Last week was a little bit of a mixed bag. Mark Clayton was a great pickup and Brandon Jackson should be fine as long as Green Bay doesn’t bring in another receiver.  I think the Camarillo pick was a week too early. Harvin didn’t practice again today and with a bye week looming in week four, he could sit out against the Lions. Here are my waiver wire gems for week 3.

1. Kyle Orton- Orton is available in most leagues right now and if these two weeks are any indication, he will be a solid fantasy option.  Hey Flacco owners, do it! McDaniels system is extremely quarterback friendly and Demaryius Thomas’ return adds yet another weapon.

2. Marshawn Lynch- If you need a back and he is available, make him your first priority.  Don’t get me wrong there will still be a committee there, but Chan Gailey has been a “one back man” for a long time.  He loves establishing the run and incorporating his running back in every possibly way.  CJ Spiller’s impressive pre-season gave everyone a hard on but the honeymoon is over.  With a bad offensive line Spiller’s inability to break tackles and make his own holes bodes well for the stronger, almost as young, Lynch.  Besides, if the trade rumors with Green Bay are true his value will only go up!

3. Keiland Williams- Grab this guy now! With the recent release of Larry Johnson it has been confirmed that Williams is the number 2 back in Washington.  Portis hasn’t been too productive this season and if Mike is up to his Shannahanagans again, you could see Williams cutting into Clinton’s time.  In my opinion, Williams has more long-term value than Mike Tolbert and yes Jason Snelling!

Fantasy team name of the week: For those of you familiar with coaching rants….

I’m a man…..I’m Forte!!!!!!

Good luck this week!