Le Monde du Poker.

Mercredi, notre propre Samuel Cosby listé certains Paris prop de Bovada.lv pour les World Series of Poker de 2012. Chaque année, le personnel de PokerNews propose ses prédictions collectives pour le WSOP — et nous allons continuer cette tradition dans les prochains jours, mais comme l'auteur des journaux de porc, j'estime nécessaire d'attaquer ces lignes avant de déplacer les objets pointus ou tranchants.

Je blague que la moitié quand je dis cela. Je vous promets.

Sera une victoire féminine un événement WSOP de « ouvert » à la WSOP 2012 ?

Maria Ho, Diana Allen, Kim Nguyen, Odette Tremblayet Vanessa Peng tous en tables finales l'année dernière des événements ouverts. Ho et Nguyen deux atteint deux pièce, et tandis que Darren Woods, adversaire de Nguyen, a joué un grand, il a été frappé sans doute dans la tête avec le pont. Vanessa Selbst fut la dernière femme à remporter un événement ouvert en 2008, démontage d'un événement Omaha de 1 500 $ pot-limit pour 227 933 $.

Avec les six femmes susmentionnées, d'innombrables autres peuvent légitimement livré avec un bracelet un événement ouvert. Annette Obrestad (2007, WSOPE Main Event), Kathy Liebert (2004, limite Hold aux tirs au but) et Jennifer Harman (2002, limite Hold et 2000, aucune limite deuce-à-sept ne sous-estimé) ont déjà remporté des bracelets en événements ouverts. Il y a aussi Liv Boeree et Vanessa Rousso qui ont un combiné de 5 millions de dollars en gains de tournoi de carrière et de va-et-venus comme Amanda Musumeci et Jamie Kerstetter qui moud le WSOP-c.

Il se sent comme nous sommes dues. Avec autant des talents de joueuses, nous devons être un favori pour gagner ce pari.

Phil Ivey remportera son bracelet 9 lors du WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

Il y a deux éléments importants de ce pari : doit jouer le WSOP, Ivey (1) et (2) il doit gagner à Vegas, ne compte pas le WSOPE. Avec son récent retour sur le circuit de tournoi live, je suis positive Ivey sera une fois de plus nous grace de sa présence dans le WSOP. Il a encaissé trois fois jusqu'en 2012, remportant le Challenge de Aussie Millions 250 000 $ (2 058 948$), finissant 12e dans l'Aussie Millions Main Event (102 947$) et bouillonnant de la table finale du PokerStars et Casino de Monte-Carlo ® European Poker Tour finale de 25 000 € High Roller de manière brutale (9e pour 96 643 $).

Il a aussi Pierre propagé l' 2012 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic Main Event.

Plus important encore, nous obtenons les meilleures chances que Ivey lui-même peut obtenir. Ivey est extrêmement concurrentiel et est évidemment un bon joueur, donc il prend souvent la moindre cote juste pour s'assurer qu'il reçoit l'action. Avec 2 400 joueurs laissés dans le Main Event des WSOP 2009, Andy Bloch dit Ivey il aurait poser stérilement cotes Ivey ne serait pas remporter le tournoi. Au lieu de prétendre pour un meilleur prix, Ivey a atteint dans sa poche et jetés de 20 000 $ à Bloch.

Ivey est également le joueur de poker plus équilibré dans le monde — aucun de ses bracelets WSOP huit viennent aux événements Hold.

Phil Hellmuth remportera son 12ème bracelet à la WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

Au début de l'année, j'ai prédit que Hellmuth gagnerait Numéro 12, donc je dois dire oui, même si pour le même prix comme Ivey est criminel. Ceci devrait au moins 7:1.

N'importe quel joueur remportera 2 ou plusieurs bracelets dans le WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas le 27 mai ?

En 2009, il y avait quatre gagnants multibracelet, y compris Greg Mueller, Brock Parker, le joueur de 2009 de l' année, Jeffrey Lisandro, l'Ivey susmentionné. Depuis 2006, seulement deux gagnants du joueur de l'année n'ont pas réussi à remporter plusieurs bracelets ; Erick Lindgren (2008) et Ben Lamb (2011). Brian Rast remporte plusieurs bracelets en 2011.

Avec des champs d'aujourd'hui, il est vraiment difficile à remporter un bracelet, et encore moins deux dans la même année. Je ne pense nécessairement 2.25:1 est le meilleur prix, mais c'est un enfer de beaucoup mieux que la ponte dicetyl.

Quel joueur va gagner plus d'argent lors du WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

Laak encaissé trois fois durant le WSOP 2011, atteignant la table finale de la somme de 5 000 $ pot-limit Omaha hi/lo split événement et bancaires de plus de 200 000 $ pour ses efforts au cours de l'été. Je sais, il ne serait pas compter vers ce pari, mais il a également remporté un événement six-handed au WSOPE 2010, ce qui lui valut un montant supplémentaire de 263 494 $. Antonio Esfandiari encaissé une fois à la WSOP 2011 seulement et n'a pas eu un score de six chiffres dans le WSOP depuis 2009, où il a terminé 24e dans le Main Event.

Laak a déjà un score de six chiffres en 2012 ainsi, finissant troisième dans le PartyPoker Premier League Poker V pour 175 000 $. Tant qu'il n'est pas garder marinage la main gagnante, nous aimons lui pour gagner ce pari. Désolé, Antonio.

Quel joueur va gagner plus d'argent lors du WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

D'une certaine façon, «Tim Tebow dénonçant sa foi (-1000000) » a plus de valeur que les deux options ci-dessus.

Dont un de ces meilleurs joueurs sur Global Poker Index va gagner le plus d'argent à la WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

Buchanan ne fait écraser le WSOP. En 2011, il a encaissé cinq fois à Vegas, totalisant plus de $400 000, et — encore une fois, je sais que cela ne compte pas — quatre fois à Cannes, totalisant plus de 500 000 $. En 2010, il a encaissé huit fois à Vegas, totalisant près de 900 000 $. Buchanan a encaissé plusieurs fois chaque année depuis 2007. Quatre de ces joueurs sont fantastiques, mais a la meilleure valeur et est devenu un des joueurs plus conformes à la WSOP dans l'histoire récente de Buchanan.

Quel joueur va gagner plus d'argent lors du WSOP 2012 se produisant à Las Vegas à partir du 27 mai ?

Red est un énorme ici préféré, à moins que bink Blom ou Antonius quelque chose. Blom n'a jamais été pour le WSOP et peut-être pas en mesure de soutenir la meule si il vient — et Antonius rarement montre son visage. Ma question est, où « aucun de ces espèces dans n'importe quel événement (+2500) ?

Combien de joueurs vont jouer dans le Main Event des WSOP 2012 ?

Cette ligne est basée uniquement sur le champ de l'an dernier de 6 865, qui était le troisième plus grand champ de Main Event dans l'histoire. J'ai appris l'année dernière ne pas de parier contre le WSOP — ils trouvent toujours un moyen de vous surprendre si vous faites.

Restez à jour sur toutes les nouveautés en nous suivant sur Twitter et nous aimer sur Facebook.

Suivez Rich Ryan

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

02:53 min., 7 janvier 2012

Sarah Grant corners couple power poker Bryn Kenney et Ana Marquez pour une autre édition des journaux WAG.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

November 11 2011, Rich Ryan

The National Football League offers a full slate this weekend — all 32 teams will be in action. This is a strange twist to the schedule, because there is still one more bye week. We're not complaining (the more football the better), but a full, 16-game slate is a lot to mull over, so let's get right into it.

The Cowboys are 1-3 at home against the spread (ATS), and the only team they covered against was St. Louis in a game where DeMarco Murray ran for over 200 yards. Washington, Detroit, and Seattle all covered in Jerry Jones’ Death Star, and Buffalo is better than all three of those teams. This line is too high (a classic overreaction after losing by 16 to the Jets at home), thus taking the points is a no-brainer.

It’s going to be tough for Dallas to defend against Buffalo’s spread attack because they’re so limited in the secondary. If the Cowboys bring in extra defensive backs, which they will have to do because they can’t play man, then the Bills will run Fred Jackson out of three and four wide receiver sets. This is a nightmare scenario for Dallas because it eradicate their pass rush completely, keeping Ryan Fitzpatrick’s jersey clean.

Fantasy: With Miles Austin out with another hamstring injury, Dez Bryant should receive the most WR targets. Laurent Robinson becomes an interesting play, as well, although Jason Witten eats into his value.

The Saints are quietly declining and are 1-4 ATS on the road, which makes this a perfect pick against one of the teams we hate the most. The Falcons' value is “rising” because they’ve won (and covered) three straight games against Carolina, Detroit, and Indianapolis. The Lions are pretty good, but the Panthers and the Colts are a combined 2-15 — that’s nothing special.

Atlanta’s defense struggles against fast teams that can spread it out, and Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham are match-up nightmares. Despite what we’ve seen over the past nine weeks, Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. You should feel very comfortable when you’re on his side, especially if it’s a pick’em game against Matt Ryan.

Fantasy: Marques Colston is back to being Mr. Inconsistent. Consider him a mid-level WR2, while on the other side of the ball Julio Jones has asserted himself as a must-start.

It’s time for the Bengals to show us whether they’re a contender or a pretender. They’re 6-2 (7-1 ATS), but their schedule has been very soft up to this point. Their next five games are Pittsburgh, at Baltimore, Cleveland, at Pittsburgh, and Houston. They could easily find themselves at 7-6, right? At best they’ll be 8-5, clawing for a playoff spot.

Usually we would ride a team like Cincinnati into the ground, 7-1 ATS is impressive, but we’d rather wait a week to see how they perform against a team with elite talent. Cincy’s toughest opponent to date was San Francisco, which beat the Bengals at home by five points. Andy Dalton and the offense struggled to move the ball, but the rookie quarterback has come a long way since Week 3. We love Dalton, we love A.J. Green, and we love the Bengals defense, but we trust the Steelers more.

Pittsburgh should be fired up after that awful, last-second home loss to Baltimore, as well.

Fantasy: Antonio Brown is a stud, and he’s only found the end zone once this year. Touchdowns are impossible to predict, and with the number of targets he’s receiving, he’s bound to score another touchdown soon.

We here at the Pigskin Diaries would like to thank the NFL for scheduling these four terrible teams against one another. Had they been placed against four good teams, we would’ve been forced to watch them for an unhealthy amount of time. Now we can avoid these games at all costs, and if anything exciting happens, the Redzone Channel has us covered.

Fantasy: Steven Jackson and Fred Davis. Maybe Reggie Bush and Roy Helu Jr. in point- per-reception leagues, but other than these four players, it’s slim pickings.

OK, Houston, we believe you. Arian Foster and Ben Tate are, without a doubt, the best one-two combination in the league. Tate has crossed the century mark three times this season — twices in the past three weeks as Foster’s spell, and once as the starter in Week 1. Without Andre Johnson, Houston has shortened their passing attack and relied on defensive play — which is a far cry from the Texans of old.

Imagine what’s going to happen when they get Johnson back and can stretch the field again.

For the Bucs, it’s been a very disappointing year. Josh Freeman is regressing in front of our eyes, Mike Williams disappeared, Gerald McCoy suffered another season-ending injury, and no has been able to replicate Barrett Ruud’s productivity. At 4-4 this may be Tampa’s last gasp, but even inspiration can’t save this team.

Fantasy: Without Earnest Graham, LeGarrette Blount is the every down back. Houston’s defense is tough, but touches are paramount in fantasy.

Carolina is 5-3 ATS, 4-1 at home, and you won’t see us betting against Cam Newton anytime soon — he’s a backdoor covering machine. Unfortunately, this week he has to win to cover, so Olindo Mare better not screw up again. Tennessee has lost three out of its last four games, including a 41-7 beat down from the aforementioned Texans. This team isn’t the same without Kenny Britt, and Chris Johnson still hasn’t turned it around.

Fantasy: Damian Williams got into the end zone last week, and is quickly ascending in the Titans WR ranks. Nate Washington is a natural WR2, so Williams’ targets could increase even more going forward.

With Kevin Kolb’s health in question, this line is a mystery. VegasInsiders.com guessed it would be 14, assuming Kolb is out, so that’s what we’ll use. Laying 14 points with a 3-5 team isn’t ideal, but the Eagles have the potential to explode at any moment — just ask the Cowboys. Philly stomped Dallas 34-7 two weeks ago, putting themselves back into contention for the division/wildcard, before getting dominated on Monday night by Chicago. They are the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team.

Arizona is awful, but the only time they were double-digit underdogs this season they almost beat Baltimore outright. Kolb was at quarterback then, not John Skelton, who makes brilliant plays like this. Unless Patrick Peterson runs back two or more kicks, the Cardinals have no shot at winning this game, and if Philly gets off to a hot start, then covering shouldn’t be a huge issue either.

Fantasy: Don’t be afraid to bench DeSean Jackson if you feel like you have better options. Jackson is a boom or bust player who has been stuck in bust all season.

Tebow 3:16 says: take the Broncos and the points.

Fantasy: Seriously, it was another solid fantasy week for Timmy terrific. The guy finds ways to score points and is starting to look comfortable with Eric Decker.

Why does everyone think that “this has to be the week,” or that “Indy can’t lose every game?” Why not? When your quarterback is being benched for Dan Orlovsky, then there are serious problems. This team is terrible. Most importantly, the Colts are at their worst when they play tough defenses, and the Jaguars rank sixth in Football Outsiders’ defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) ratings. We’ve seen Jacksonville perform well against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Carolina, holding all three teams to 17 points or less.

On the other side of the ball, who is going to stop Maurice Jones-Drew? Pat Angerer leads the world in tackles, but that’s only because backs reach the second level frequently. Indy isn’t built to stop the run on defense, they’re built to rush the passer with a lead — which doesn’t work without Peyton Manning. Jacksonville isn’t a powerhouse by any means, but Indy should be more than a three-point dog to every team in this league regardless of where the game is being played.

Fantasy: You safely bench every Colt in this game, unless you’re in a really, really deep league.

This is a classic letdown after a huge win. Joe Flacco finally beat Pittsburgh, and now the team has to travel all the way to Seattle to play in one of the loudest stadiums in the league. The Seahawks are 2-1 ATS at home — the Bengals covered in the Pacific Northwest two weeks ago. Perhaps this pick was driven by a negative bias against Flacco and the Ravens, but Baltimore played awful two weeks ago against Arizona and lost in Jacksonville the week before that. They also could’ve lost last week had it not been for Flacco’s surprise heroics.

Seattle will be competitive as long as they don’t turn the ball over. Baltimore thrives on their opponents mistakes, but they’re also exploitable — especially in the passing game. Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin, and Ben Obomanu are all athletic wide outs who will give the Ravens fits if Tarvaris Jackson has time to get rid of the ball.

Fantasy: It’s safe to say you should bench Marshawn Lynch unless you have no other option. Keep an eye on Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta — the rookie out of BYU looks like a young Todd Heap.

One favorite and one dog will cover. We’re sure of this. Last week we correctly predicted that either Dallas or Houston would cover but not both. Of course, we chose the wrong side on each game. This time we’re splitting the difference and hoping to get a little lucky. We especially like the Niners because they get to play a banged up Giants team that’s coming off of a big win. Without Ahmad Bradshaw, New York has far less balance on offense, and San Francisco can rush the quarterback. Conversely, the Niners will pound the rock with Frank Gore, forcing the Giants’ defensive line to stop the run.

In Chicago, Jay Cutler is returning to form. Kudos to Mike Martz for finally eliminating seven-step drops and giving Matt Forte the ball — even though the Bears front five is still sluggish, you have to protect Cutler with your play calls. Earl Bennet might be just what the doctor ordered in the intermediate passing game, which would help balance the offense and make Devin Hester more of a downfield threat. This is also a must-win for Chicago — Detroit won the first meeting back in October, and the Bears can’t afford to fall to 5-4 with a 1-3 divisional record.

Fantasy: While we can’t assume Bennett will always be that productive, somebody has to get the targets in Chicago. Neither Roy Williams nor Johnny Knox has been impressive, so Bennett could easily ascend to the top of the list.

No comment.

Fantasy: Shonn Greene is slowly making amends for his terribly slow start. One more productive week and he’ll resolidify himself as a no-brainer RB2.

Vegas can’t make this line high enough. The public loves the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. So do we. We’d rather take the Pack with the best quarterback in the league than take the points and hold on for dear life. Plus, every time we see this video, we wonder why we would ever take the Vikings.

Fantasy: Neither James Starks nor Ryan Grant should be anywhere near your lineup, whereas James Jones is worth a flier.

This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 7-5-1
Season: 65-57-8

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

October 28 2011, Rich Ryan

In 1966, Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly delivered one of the most epic scenes in the history of cinema. The Mexican standoff was wonderfully shot intercutting a mix of long shots and extreme closeups to increase the intensity of the scene. We pay homage to Leone's film in this week's Pigskin Diaries because there has been a lot of good, a lot of bad, and a whole lot of ugly in the National Football League during the past few weeks. The touchdown-less 6-3 game last week in Cleveland is a prime example, but there are plenty of others where that came from.

The Good: Perhaps this was a bad game to start with because there isn’t much good to be found. Both the Titans and Colts quit last week, losing by a combined 89 points. Insane. Right now the only person who’s happy is Chris Johnson — he’s getting $13 million this year to average 2.9 yards per carry.

The Bad: Indy can’t stop the run. That’s why Pat Angerer leads the NFL in tackles by a margin of 15. The Colts are being gouged for over 150 yards per game on the ground, so if Johnson can’t get anything going this week, the Titans can finally hit the panic button.

The Ugly: 62-7? Really, Indy? Peyton Manning is unquestionably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but that score was inexcusable. Jim Caldwell should take most of the blame for this one — Indy would’ve never quit on Tony Dungy. Did you know Caldwell only had a .300 winning percentage as a head coach in college? If he wasn’t Dungy’s close friend, he would never have had the opportunity to coach so poorly in the NFL.

Still, the Titans are far from a juggernaut and shouldn’t be laying nine points to anybody.

Fantasy: Matt Hasselbeck is growing fond of tight end Jared Cook, but Nate Washington is still the most consistent receiver on the team.

The Good: Rookie quarterbacks. Everybody knows that Cam Newton is running away with the offensive rookie-of-the-year award, but last week, in his first start for the Vikings, Christian Ponder looked impressive. Yeah, he threw two interceptions to Charles Woodson and lost the game outright, but he covered — just like Newton did earlier in the year against Green Bay. Ponder isn’t as physically gifted as Newton, though, and the Vikings offensive line is atrocious. In a stronger system, Ponder could be great whereas Newton can flourish whenever he’s under center.

The Bad: These teams are a combined 9-5 against the spread (ATS), but Minnesota is 1-2 ATS on the road and on grass. If the Vikings are going to win, Adrian Peterson has to have a good game — these two events are mutually exclusive. The problem is Peterson has averaged a yard less per carry on grass because he and the rest of the team are built to play indoors.

The Ugly: This is the worst pass coverage in the history of the NFL.

Fantasy: Ponder’s two favorite targets last week were Visanthe Shiancoe and Michael Jenkins. Let’s see if the trend continues.

The Good: Andre Johnson is back for the Texans after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Houston was 1-2 in his absence, and in their two losses they averaged only 17 points. Johnson is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and his presence alone is almost worth seven points — especially at Reliant Stadium.

The Bad: Maurice Jones-Drew fumbled three times on Monday night against the Ravens, and the Jaguars still found a away to win. Jacksonville gave everything they had on defense against Baltimore, and now they have to turn around and play one of the most explosive offenses in the league. The chances of Jacksonville putting together back-to-back great defensive performances are slim.

The Ugly: Jacksonville is averaging only 12 points per game. They’ve scored six offensive touchdowns (31st in the league, St Louis only has five) while Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown for 12 touchdowns all by his lonesome.

Fantasy: Hang on to Ben Tate fantasy friends. He crossed the century mark for the second time last week, and if Foster goes down then he could explode.

The Good: Drew Brees.

The Bad: Sam Bradford’s ankle.

The Ugly: Us picking the Rams last week. Embarrassing.

Fantasy: Marques Colston was always the elite receiver you couldn’t trust, but now he’s a legitimate No. 1. Darren Sproles is still the running back you want in New Orleans, especially in point per reception leagues.

The Good: Somehow, despite all of their injuries, the Giants have a shot at winning the NFC East. Eli Manning is surrounded by a plethora of weapons, including two emerging targets: Victor Cruz and Jake Ballard. A good passing game can keep even the worst defenses competitive (just ask the Patriots), so as long as Eli is throwing effectively, the Giants should be fine.

The Bad: The Dolphins are inventing new ways to lose each week. We understand that Tim Tebow is the prodigal son, but it’s nearly impossible to squander a 15-point lead with only five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Teams that are 0-6 have a tendency to quit when their backs are against the wall, so if the Giants score first, this could get out of hand.

The Ugly: Somehow Miami will find a way to get the second overall pick in the draft and miss out on Andrew Luck.

Fantasy: The Dolphins will be down, so expect Brandon Marshall to get a ton of targets.

The Good: Monday night was a mess for the Ravens, but they’re a completely different team at home. At M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore is 3-0 ATS, outscoring the Steelers, Jets and Texans by an average of 20 points. That’s impressive.

The Bad: Joe Flacco is not impressive, however. True, Anquan Boldin struggles to stretch the field and Torrey Smith barely knows the route tree, but Flacco needs to get the ball down the field. Ray Rice takes a lot of pressure off the fourth-year signal caller from Delaware, but Flacco needs to improve if the Ravens want to remain relevant. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed can’t play at a high level forever.

The Ugly: Kevin Kolb has less than four months left in his career as a starting quarterback. He will most likely fill his Sundays with moments like this.

Fantasy: Beanie Wells is injured, and Alfonso Smith will start at running back for the Cardinals. This isn’t a favorable match up by any means, but there are only a few feature backs in the league now, and Smith could be interesting going forward.

The Good: The Bills offense is for real. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson are all legitimate threats — we will hammer this until you finally admit or realize it. The Redskins defense is tough, but with two weeks to prepare, we trust Fitzpatrick to make big plays.

The Bad: Washington went from being a division leader to the worst team in the NFC East. The decision to bench Rex Grossman was rushed, and now there is no going back. John Beck has to finish the season as the starter, or else Mike Shanahan will completely lose the locker room.

The Ugly: Tim Hightower suffered a season-ending knee injury and Santana Moss is out for two months with a broken hand. Good luck moving the ball, Washington.

Fantasy: Ryan Torain may be the guy right now, but Roy Helu Jr. is the back of the future. We’d rather have him going forward, especially seeing that Torain is injury-prone.

The Good: Betting on Tim Tebow. Never before has sinning felt so good.

The Bad: Detroit’s two-game home losing streak. The first loss to San Francisco wasn’t so bad because the Niners are running away with the NFC West, but their loss to the Falcons is going to hurt down the road because both teams are fighting for a wildcard spot. Matthew Stafford’s ankle injury is a concern, especially because Detroit is already without running back Jahvid Best.

The Ugly: If Ndamukong Suh taunted Matt Ryan while he was down, then that’s bush league. No player deserves to be injured, even Tom Brady.

Fantasy: Tim Tebow played horribly, yet still finished the week as a top-five fantasy quarterback. The guy finds ways to produce.

The Good: Since 2001, the Patriots are 6-2 against the Steelers — and one of those losses came with Matt Cassel at quarterback. New England owns Pittsburgh and should be more than a field goal favorite, even at Heinz Field.

The Bad: Rashard Mendenhall has only run for 70 yards or more once this season, and in that game he broke off a 68-yard touchdown. If you take that one carry away, he’s only averaging 3 yards per carry on the year. That’s not very good. Ben Roethlisberger is capable of throwing the pill, but the Steelers need a running game to protect him and the offensive line.

The Ugly: Bibi Jones regarding Rob Gronkowski: “Nothing happened.”

Fantasy: Antonio Brown has been spotty at times, but he is the clear-cut No. 2 receiver on the Steelers. He should be owned in all leagues.

The Good: Cities that begin with an “S.”

The Bad: Cities that begin with a “C.”

The Ugly: Picking two NFC West teams.

Fantasy: Braylon Edwards returns for the Niners, giving Alex Smith another weapon. Michael Crabtree remains the No. 1 receiver and a solid WR2 option.

The Good: DeMarco Murray. Wow. He was fun to watch at Oklahoma, but last week’s 253-yard performance against the Rams was something else. He’s got 2 inches and about a dozen pounds on Felix Jones, making him a much tougher back, and if he can compete fully in consecutive games, it will also make him more durable than the oft-injured Arkansas alum.

The Bad: The Eagles front office for publicly shopping Asante Samuel. After the trade deadline passed and Philadelphia failed to move him, Samuel took a shot at the front office: “They’re playing with a lot of money, playing fantasy football, doing their thing.” So far their fantasy defense has been subpar, and failing to move Samuel won’t help the moral in the locker room.

The Ugly: The battle between Dallas’ No. 1 rush defense (69.7 yards per game) and Philadelphia’s No. 1 rush offense (170 yards per game) is going to be a doozy. LeSean McCoy is a vital part of the Eagles offense, and if they abandon the run early then Michael Vick may be seeing stars for a third time this season.

Fantasy: Murray is at least a flex play until Jones returns to the lineup. Once he does, we can then re-evaluate the situation.

The Good: Fading the public with the Chiefs who are 4-2 ATS.

The Bad: Philip Rivers’ play through the first seven weeks of the season. He looks like he’s injured out there because he’s missing easy throws and making terrible mistakes, but his name has yet to appear on the injury list. The Chargers defense is suspect at best, and without a healthy, effective Rivers, they’re a once-and-done team come playoff time.

The Ugly: Monday Night Football has the worst lineup ever this season. Did the Worldwide Leader throw darts at the schedule last spring? There are only three intriguing games left on the schedule: Week 12 — Giants at Saints, Week 15 — Steelers at 49ers, and Week 16 — Falcons at Saints. The rest of the games all feature at least one team with a losing record, and some have two. Not cool, ESPN.

Fantasy: Shonn Greene of the Jets has looked terrible all year, except last week against the Chargers. Jackie Battle could definitely have a big game.

Last Week: 5-7-1
Season: 53-43-7

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

AppId is over the quota
October 07 2011, Rich Ryan

We're at the quarter pole of the 2011 National Football League regular season, and after a very good Week 4, we're 12 games over .500! This isn't the time to celebrate though, because we have 12 more tough weeks ahead of us, plus the playoffs. This week, six teams are on a bye, and only two are more than a touchdown favorite, making this the toughest week of the season to date.

You’re probably very confused with that pick, seeing that I’ve been very anti-Steelers through the first four weeks of the season. Well, this feels like a classic case of “everyone thinks we’re old when we’re still decent.” Pittsburgh isn’t great by any means, but they’re still competitive, and the price is right. Had this game been played two weeks ago, the Steelers would’ve been no less than 6.5-point favorites. The public is concerned because Pittsburgh plans to start new players at left tackle and left guard, and Isaac Redman will most likely start in place of the injured Rashard Mendenhall. What the public doesn’t understand is these changes are nominal. The offensive line has been horrible at best, leaving plenty of room for improvement, and Redman has looked just as good as Mendenhall.

The Titans are solid, especially on defense, but Matt Hasselbeck can’t throw for 300 yards every game. Right?

Fantasy: We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. All Mendenhall owners should have Isaac Redman. You probably used a first-round pick on Mendenhall, so protect him.

You won’t find me laying points with the Vikings anytime soon. After blowing three straight halftime leads, they finally put together 60 minutes of mediocre football, losing outright to the Chiefs last week. Adrian Peterson has only eclipsed the century mark once this season, Donovan McNabb continues to show us why Andy Reid sent him to Washington last year, and Antoine Winfield is battling a neck injury. That last note may be the most crucial of the three. If he plays, Winfield will be responsible for covering Larry Fitzgerald for the majority of the game.

The Cardinals lost a heartbreaker last week, although it was clear to me that Victor Cruz was giving himself up. Beanie Wells continues to make me look stupid, running for 138 yards and three touchdowns, while Kevin Kolb continues to be very average. Neither of these teams are exciting or impressive, but Arizona is getting the points and is the lesser of two evils.

Fantasy: If you really want to roll the dice this week, then Michael Jenkins is a deep sleeper at wide receiver. The Cardinals secondary is very poor, and he’s shown more explosiveness than any other Vikings receiver.

One bad game against a good defense, and the Bills are suddenly dogs at home? They must be playing against some kind of dream team or something.

Fantasy: David Nelson and Donald Jones have both been productive at times this season, but neither have been consistent enough to be “must starts.”

Dare I say that Curtis Painter looked really good on Monday night? The two long touchdowns to Pierre Garçon were short passes, but Painter was very accurate, and the offense felt more Peyton Manning-like than when old man Kerry Collins was under center. Joseph Addai was also running hard and the Colts looked like a different team. Their defense is still suspect, however, and they lost the game, but they also covered for the second straight week.

Desperately looking for their first win of the season, the Colts welcome the Chiefs to Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. What perfect timing. Despite winning last week, Kansas City is in worse shape than Indy, and is flirting with the idea of giving Jackie Battle more touches on offense. That doesn’t say much about Dexter McCluster’s future with the team. Dwayne Bowe is always a threat, but Matt Cassel’s can’t be trusted, and it’s time for Indy to get off the snide.

Fantasy: Buy low on Reggie Wayne and sell high on Garçon. Wayne is much more talented; thus, he is much more reliable going forward.

Without Andre Johnson, the Texans offense was very pedestrian-like against Pittsburgh’s average defense. The Raiders don’t have a great secondary, but their front seven are very aggressive (ask Tom Brady), and will be able to focus in on running back Arian Foster. Darren McFadden is a nightmare for defenses, and Oakland is much more comfortable when they can run the ball rather than play in a shootout like they did against New England and Buffalo.

This game has let down written all over it for Houston, which will need to find a way to get the ball downfield without their best playmaker.

Fantasy: Receiver Jacoby Jones and tight end Owen Daniels see increased value with the loss of Johnson.

I still won’t pick against Drew Brees, even though Cam Newton is a backdoor specialist. The Panthers are 3-1 against the spread (ATS), and honestly I hope the Saints destroy them because I want to ride Carolina all year. Conventional, public bettors are weary when it comes to rookie quarterbacks, especially when they’re in a smaller market like Charlotte, North Carolina, giving the team a lot of value. In fact, if this line was eight points or higher, I probably would’ve taken the Panthers.

There is nothing more enjoyable then continuously getting a touchdown with less than average teams that are frisky, and consistently play just above average.

Fantasy: If you’re having trouble finding players to drop during the waiver wire period, and Pierre Thomas is on your team, cast him away. Darren Sproles is by far their most effective back, and Mark Ingram gets the bulk of the load between the tackles.

The Bengals defense is legit, giving up only 275 yards per game (first in the NFL) and 18.5 points per game (sixth in the NFL). The Jaguars have struggled offensively, averaging less than 10 points per game (32nd in the NFL). With Blaine Gabbert at quarterback, Jacksonville is forced to give the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew at a higher rate, and he can only do so much. I’ll take Andy Dalton over Gabbert everyday, especially when he has fellow rookie A.J. Green wreaking havoc in the secondary.

Fantasy: MJD remains the only player on Jacksonville that you can trust. If you haven’t already, please look elsewhere if you still have Marcedes Lewis at tight end.

This line stinks, but so do Tarvaris Jackson and the Seahawks on the road. Besides, if big blue can score early, then laying the points won’t be so painful. I’m still skeptical about the Giants, but Eli Manning is one of the more trustworthy quarterbacks in the league and has a ton of weapons around him. If New York shows a little bit of life on defense, they should have no problem against a very weak Seattle team.

Fantasy: Sidney Rice is back to being the stud we all remember in Minnesota, and Victor Cruz is quickly becoming Manning’s favorite target.

The Bucs are traveling to the West Coast on a short week, and they haven’t been able to put together a full, 60-minute game. It’s a good thing they’re playing the Niners, who, despite being 3-1, are still in the NFC West. Don’t get too excited, people.

Fantasy: Kendall Hunter looked good last week, and props to Frank Gore for playing tough while injured, but Hunter is a must-have for Gore owners. See: Mendenhall, Rashard.

What is going on here? This line opened at 5.5, and it’s been bet down a point and a half already? Is Vincent Jackson that injured? Has Philip Rivers been that mediocre? Do the bettors really hate Norv Turner that much?

Something about this game is real fishy, and I think my friend Admiral Ackbar knows why.

Fantasy: Mike Tolbert is getting fewer and fewer carries but is still a very solid RB2 or flex play in point-per-reception leagues. Willis McGahee is now the guy in Denver — Knowshon Moreno only had two carries last week.

Remember in January when Bart Scott said the Patriots couldn’t stop a nosebleed? Bill Belichick and Tom Brady do. The Jets can’t score with the Pats, and this one could get ugly for Gang Green.

As if Sunday night wasn’t ugly enough.

Fantasy: LaDanian Tomlinson could potentially catch a lot of balls this week, making him a very interesting flex play.

Wow. Aaron Rodgers.

Fantasy: Donald Driver missed a little time last week with an injury, and in his absence James Jones scored a touchdown. I don’t think Jones should be owned quite yet, but Driver is a veteran and could easily miss more time.

The Lions are 4-0, and haven’t hosted a Monday Night Football game since 2001. The roof might blow off of Ford Field.

Fantasy: It’s hard to trust Jay Cutler, but the Bears will have to throw a lot to win this game. Johnny Knox is his best option, and should be considered in your lineup.

On Bye: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins

Last Week: 14-2
Season: 36-24-4

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

AppId is over the quota
04:08 min., October 01 2011

For this special edition of the WAG (wives and girlfriends) Diaries, Sarah grills PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen about his gorgeous bombshell, our very own, Lynn Gilmartin.

View the original article here

AppId is over the quota
September 30 2011, Rich Ryan

Trends are what make the world go round. Trends have people converting to veganism, squeezing into skinny jeans, wearing big-framed glasses, drinking Starbucks, and placing a hashtag in their tweets. Trends also dominate the National Football League, but it takes time for them to legitimize because the sample size is so small. For example, do the Pittsburgh Steelers really have a bad run defense? Can the New England Patriots cover anybody? Is Ryan Fitzpatrick one of the best quarterbacks in the league? Is Chris Johnson finished? Did the Boston Red Sox really choke that hard?

OK I lied. That last one is a known fact, but the rest are still up in the air. As we near the quarter pole in the 2011 regular season, we need to uncover these trends quicker than the oddsmakers and the public. You have to be quick to adapt, and unafraid to follow your gut.

Now let's pick some winners!

Shhhhh. Don’t look now, but the Niners are undefeated against the spread (ATS), boasting a 2-0-1 record through three weeks of play. They played tough and won outright in Cincinnati last week, and rather than travel all the way back to the Bay Area, they flew to Youngstown, Pennsylvania. Avoiding back-to-back cross-country trips is brilliant, and should certainly help. The Niners defense ranks seventh in yards per game, and if Donte Whitner didn’t sellout on play action against the Cowboys in Week 2, they could be 3-0. Frank Gore may be limited because of injury, but rookie Kendall Hunter has looked good, and the Eagles run defense (30th) is horrid.

Had Vince Young never uttered the words “Dream Team” would we still be so hard on Philly? Michael Vick is taking a beating every time he drops back, and I don’t blame him for being frustrated, but you can’t blame the referees at the podium. Vick will play Sunday after nearly breaking his non-throwing hand last week, and Jeremy Maclin who is battling a hamstring injury, is a game-time decision. The Eagles certainly have the potential to score in bunches, but they haven’t done it consistently enough to be favored by nearly double digits.

Fantasy: With Maclin injured, keep your eyes on Steve Smith. Smith is recovering from an injury of his own but has more upside than Jason Avant. You may even want to take a flier on Smith now to avoid the rush on next week’s waiver wire.

The Rams are bad, really bad. They gave up over 500 yards of total offense last week at home against the Ravens and got torched by rookie receiver Torrey Smith. St. Louis has scored only one touchdown per game, during which they are 0-3 ATS. The Redskins are coming off of a poor performance in Dallas, and had a short week to prepare for the Rams, but they’re a much better team. As long as Rex Grossman doesn’t begin to regress, Washington’s offense is dangerous. Santana Moss has learned to become more of a possession receiver, Fred Davis and Chris Cooley work well together in two tight-end sets, and Tim Hightower is a prototype for Mike Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme. This feels like more of a bounce-back game than a trap to me.

Fantasy: For owners in PPR leagues, Danny Amendola could make an appearance in this game. The Rams could see a lot of garbage time this week and beyond, and Amendola caught 90 balls from Sam Bradford last season.

Pick your poison. Do you want to get two points at home with an 0-3 team that’s been outscored 109-27, or give two points on the road with an 0-3 team that’s blown three double-digit halftime leads. I think the trend stops here for the Vikings, and they finally play a game poorly from start to finish rather than wait for the second half to stink it up.

Fantasy: Dwayne Bowe showed signs of life last week, and if you drafted him, then hold on to him for now. Fantasy owners have been frustrated with him, but if you trade him now then you would be selling him for 20 cents on the dollar. Wait until his value increases, or continue to let him produce for you.

The Steelers looked very average on Sunday night against the Colts. They can’t protect Ben Roethlisberger, especially on the edges, and Big Ben won’t get rid of the ball quick enough. That’s a dangerous combo. Joseph Addai gashed their defense, running downhill with ease, and Pierre Garçon was wide open, ready to score the winning touchdown at the end of the game, but Curtis Painter missed him. Most NFL quarterbacks make that throw and seal the deal.

Matt Schaub definitely completes that throw, but its not the Texans offense that has me excited. Their defense is much improved (you can throw out last week because it was the Saints), especially at rushing the passer. Mario Williams is still a huge threat at outside linebacker, and rookie defensive end J.J. Watt has transitioned seamlessly into his starting role. If Pittsburgh doesn’t do something about their protection, this one could get real ugly, real fast.

Fantasy: Finally, it looks like Arian Foster will return to the lineup for the Texans. Ben Tate owners shouldn’t fret yet, but tamper your expectations this week because they want to see if Foster can handle the workload.

I really wanted to pick the Cowboys here because the entire world likes the Lions, but I couldn’t talk myself into it. Dallas’ secondary is very poor, and Matthew Stafford is probably the first quarterback they’ve faced that can exploit that flaw from start to finish. Calvin “Megatron” Johnson has caught two touchdown passes in each game thus far, and is arguably the most consistent skill player in the league alongside Adrian Peterson. Neither team can run the ball that, well, and in fact Lions head coach Jim Schwartz admitted that they’ll instead throw short and intermediate passes to tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who had 11 catches for 112 yards last week.

If this game turns into a shootout, then I love the Lions. Tony Romo is definitely capable of throwing the pill, but he is without Miles Austin and will have to avoid pressure from the Detroit’s front seven. Somehow I see Ndamukong Suh getting a sack or two.

Fantasy: The aforementioned Pettigrew is a great pickup if your in need of a tight end. If you’re a Jahvid Best owner, and your worried about his propensity to get injured, then I prefer Keiland Williams over Jerome Harrison as a handcuff.

I’d rather have a root canal than lay 6.5 points with Jay Cutler. We didn’t learn much more about the Panthers last week because they played in a monsoon, and I’m interested to see how Cam Newton performs on his first tough road test.

Fantasy: Despite playing in said monsoon, Greg Olsen had seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown last week. This is a revenge game for Olsen, who was neglected in Chicago, and I have a feeling he’s going to find the end zone at least once.

Traditionally, I’d identify this as a trap game, hold my nose, and dive in with the underdog. However, I don’t think the Bills are a “trappable team” — they haven’t been to the playoffs in a decade. They’re more like the 2004 Red Sox; lovable losers that everyone can root for.

Speaking of the Red Sox, how awesome was Wednesday night?

The Bengals struggle to score points, while the Bills are averaging 37 points per game. I can’t see how Cincinnati comes back if Buffalo jumps out to a double-digit lead.

Fantasy: With Cedric Benson facing suspension at some point this season, Bernard Scott becomes an interesting pickup, especially if you’re a Benson owner.

Quick! Which one of these teams is 2-1?

Got it?

If you answered “both of them,” then you’re correct. What’s scary is both of these teams could actually make the playoffs. The Browns play the crappy NFC West (potentially three to four wins), and the Titans are in the crappy AFC South (three remaining games against Jacksonville and Indianapolis). Tennessee is the better team, especially on defense, and if Chris Johnson decides to get his act together, then they’re a legitimate threat. The loss of Kenny Britt hurts, but Matt Hasselbeck is used to playing with mediocre receivers.

Cleveland is solid, but their offense is too stagnant. Peyton Hillis is a workhorse, but you can only do so much when you rely on a bruising, downhill runner. Colt McCoy is certainly capable of making big throws, but Mohamed Massaquoi isn’t a legitimate deep threat.

Fantasy: With Britt’s injury, Nate Washington becomes the guy in Tennessee. In Washington’s worst game this season, he had six catches for 67 yards.

Hey G-Men, whenever you’re ready to decide whether you’re good or not, let us know. Last week they looked unstoppable in Philly, Week 2 they looked average against the Rams, and Week 1 they looked horrible in Washington. On paper, this matchup looks great for Eli Manning, even without Mario Manningham, because the Cardinals secondary can't guard the door. The only reason Arizona’s pass defense isn’t closer to the bottom of the league statistically is because they played against Tarvaris Jackson last week.

Kevin Kolb isn’t a huge threat to the Giants’ weakened secondary, and Beanie Wells isn’t much of a threat to anybody. This one seems too easy, which is scary, but I can’t take any NFC West team with confidence.

Fantasy: Victor Cruz was very impressive last week for the Giants, and is an interesting play if Manningham is sidelined.

Drew Brees.

Fantasy: I don’t believe Sean Payton when he says Marques Colston will play this week, but make sure you check on Sunday morning before the games begin.

Aaron Rodgers.

Fantasy: Ryan Grant has bruised kidneys (ouch), meaning James Starks will get the full load against the Broncos.

Tarvaris Jackson.

I’m kidding of course, but I do love home dogs, especially the Seahawks who were home dogs last week and won outright. I still have no reason to believe in the Falcons, who are a quarter away from being 0-3. Matt Ryan is a below average quarterback on the road, and Seattle is one of the loudest, most difficult places to play in the NFL.

I have little (if any) faith in the Seahawks offense, but I refuse to lay more than a field goal on the road with Atlanta. The public doesn’t think Seattle is any good and this line could move even higher, so keep your eyes on the board.

Fantasy: Sidney Rice made a triumphant return last week and is skillful enough to be a reliable flex play from here on out.

It’s the beginning of the end for Dolphins coach Tony Sparano. Their one-point loss last week in Cleveland was heartbreaking, and now they have to travel all the way to San Diego and take on one of the most potent offenses in the league. If the Fish drop this game they’ll be 0-4 entering their bye week, giving a potential new coach more than two weeks to prepare for their Monday night tilt against the Jets. Will Miami fight for their coach, or will this be the end?

The Chargers barely avoided their traditional September collapse last week, and although they were less than impressive, that’s a good sign. Ryan Matthews finally looks like an NFL back, Vincent Jackson has returned to freak mode, and Randy McMichael is a very adequate replacement for the oft-injured Antonio Gates. The Bolts have yet to score 30-plus points in a game this season — this feels like their breakout game.

Fantasy: Malcom Floyd has been somewhat productive despite playing through a tough groin injury the past two weeks. Once he’s fully healed, Floyd will be a very nice play.

The last time Tom Brady lost consecutive regular-season games was December of 2009. The Raiders look tough, and can clearly run the football, but that’s not the formula to success against the Patriots — you have to be able to throw the ball. In Oakland’s only loss this season, Jason Campbell threw for a season-high 323 yards. In the team’s two victories, he threw for a combined 261 yards. Unlike the Bills, I don’t think the Raiders can come back against the Patriots if they jump out to a double-digit lead.

New England has scored more than 30 points each game thus far, and that trend should continue Sunday.

Fantasy: Jacoby Ford is healthy, and the Raiders will have to pass in this game. In deeper leagues, rookie receiver Denarius Moore could be a sleeper, as well.

I hope I’m 0-4 when picking Jets games.

World, meet Josh Freeman. ESPN scheduled this game intending to highlight Peyton Manning, but while he recovers from a neck injury, Freeman is becoming one of the top ten quarterbacks in the league. The Bucs defense needs to improve, and the loss of safety Cody Grimm for the season doesn’t help, but they have room to improve. Corner Aqib Talib is one of the best in the league, and rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster is picking up where Barret Ruud left off — Foster has 22 tackles, a forced fumble, a sack, and he put this hit on Chad Ochocinco during the preseason.

Ten points is a lot, but I’m a believer in Freeman and his team, and this is their coming-out party on national television.

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 22-22-2 (That's a lot of twos)

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

AppId is over the quota
September 16 2011, Rich Ryan

When picking NFL games against the spread, the ability to adapt is paramount — that’s why we're not panicking after last week’s abysmal performance. With 16 weeks left in the regular season, we have plenty of time to assess how good or bad these teams really are, and we'll make our selections accordingly.

There are some trends that we’ll jump on prematurely, like picking against the Atlanta Falcons. Everyone expects this team to "take the next step” this year, but they looked horrible against the Chicago Bears last weekend. Conversely, we’re not jumping off of the Pittsburgh Steelers because of one bizarre game against a division rival. The Steelers didn’t play well at all, but unlike the Falcons, we’ll give them a pass because they’re consistently among the top teams.

However, if Pittsburgh struggles at home against a very underwhelming Seattle Seahawks team Sunday, then we will may be the next ones off the Steeler bandwagon. It’s all about adapting.

After starting 0-1, some might think that this is a “must win game” for the Saints, but it’s not because all four teams in the NFC South lost last week. Motivation shouldn’t be a factor though — did you see Drew Brees play on opening night? Marques Colston’s injury shouldn’t be too big of a factor either. Brees distributes the ball masterfully, and both Devery Henderson and Jimmy Graham are capable of stepping up.

Just don’t do the belt celebration when you're down two scores, Jimmy. It’s embarrassing.

Chicago deserves a lot of credit for how well they played last week against Atlanta, but that won’t help them Sunday in the Superdome. The Saints offense will be much faster on the turf, and Jay Cutler and the Bears offense will have to deal with deafening crowd noise for the majority of the contest.

Fantasy: I love Matt Forte in this matchup, especially in point per reception (PPR) leagues. He’s an explosive back with breakaway potential, and Cutler will look for him a lot on third downs.

Until further notice, we won’t be picking against this guy.

Fantasy: Temper your expectations for Cam Newton. His performance last week was memorable, but it was more a function of a bad Arizona Cardinals defense.

Last week, 14 quarterbacks threw for over 300 yards. Fourteen. That’s nearly half of the league. How many yards did Donovan McNabb throw for, you ask?

Thirty-nine.

I was one of the people who argued for McNabb last season, saying that the Redskins made him inept. But after watching him last week against the Chargers, there’s little hope in Minnesota for a winning season. Adrian Peterson is a workhorse, but you have to throw the football to succeed in this league. Josh Freeman and the Bucs struggled out of the gate last week as well, but they’re much more athletic on offense, and on defense Aqib Talib will give McNabb nightmares.

This feels like a stay-away game, but I’ll take the points.

Fantasy: Peterson is the only Viking that I feel comfortable starting — Percy Harvin won’t return a kick every week.

I am so nervous about jumping on the Lions bandwagon, but their win last week was convincing — only good teams can play poorly on the road and still win by a touchdown. Detroit could’ve won by more, too, but the aforementioned Talib intercepted a tipped ball at the line and took it the distance in the first quarter. Matthew Stafford took over after that, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Calvin “Megatron” Johnson was on the receiving end of two of them.

Stafford and the offense aside, the Lion’s defense could be their strength, and that’s why I like them this week against the Chiefs. Kansas City’s offense looked lost against the Bills last week, and now they have to face one of the toughest d-lines in the league. I’ll even make a bold prediction and say that Ndamukong Suh will have more sacks than Matt Cassel will have touchdowns.

Fantasy: I’ve already expressed my dislike for Dwayne Bowe, but Jamaal Charles is a stud and a must-start.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Without Peyton Manning, the Colts are the worst team in football. He single-handedly held the team together with his offensive abilities, and now the team is a shell of what it once was. Kerry Collins didn’t even play that bad either, it’s their defense that’s going to kill them this year. Ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have both lost a step on the edge, and linebackers Gary Brackett (shoulder) and Ernie Sims (knee) will not play against the Browns. Linebacker Pat Angerer and safety Melvin Bullet are good role players, but they can’t lead a defense by themselves.

Thanks to a timely injury by Andy Dalton, Cleveland began the season 0-1 as well, but they’re much more talented than this Indy team. This game has Peyton Hillis’ name written all over it. I don’t even know if there’s a player on the Colts who can actually tackle him.

Fantasy: Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are still safe starts for the Colts. Both Browns tight ends scored last week, but Benjamin Watson is the safer play going forward.

See intro. This is one of those games where Pittsburgh jumps out to a 7-0 lead, and all of a sudden giving two touchdowns won't feel so bad.

Fantasy: This has all the makings of a Steeler blowout, but I still don’t think Hines Ward should be a started in leagues with 12 teams or less.

Chris Johnson’s holdout was one of the biggest stories during the off-season. After weeks of turmoil, the Titans finally re-signed him during the last week of the preseason, ensuring that they would have their best offensive weapon for week one.

Then they opted not to use him against a division rival.

Johnson only had 24 yards on nine carries, and Tennessee lost to the Jaguars 16-14. Fast forward to week two, where the Titans will host a Ravens team that just embarrassed the Steelers. If the Titans don’t find a way to get Johnson the ball, then they better protect Matt Hasselbeck because the Ravens defense will pressure him the entire game. On the other side of the ball, Joe Flacco was awfully impressive last week. He looked very comfortable, made all of the necessary throws, and if that was a snapshot of his season, the Ravens will be a team we ride into the ground.

Fantasy: With a year under his belt, Anquan Boldin looked like a different receiver for the Ravens last week. He and Flacco had great chemistry, and he has the potential to be a top-ten fantasy receiver.

The Jets were very fortunate on Sunday night against the Cowboys, but they failed to cover. They’re also a very public team, being in the New York market, and rarely dominate teams from start to finish. Nine points is very high, and I don’t think Mark Sanchez will throw the ball 40-plus times in back-to-back weeks. If he does, then that means the Jaguars are probably winning.

Jacksonville will limit Luke McCown’s opportunities to lose the game, opting to give the ball to superstar back Maurice Jones-Drew and his spell Deji Karim. The Jags may struggle to score, but, barring a killer turnover, I don’t think they let this one get out of hand.

Fantasy: Marcedes Lewis is injured, and in my opinion he is droppable in most leagues. For a replacement, you could try Jets tight end Dustin Keller.

NOBODY circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!

The Amish Rifle (Ryan Fitzpatrick) rocketed four touchdowns, and Freddie Jackson rushed for over 100 yards as the Bills annihilated the Chiefs last week. Although I don’t think you can expect these numbers every week from Buffalo, I do think they’ll be a pesky team the entire season, especially if they can sure up some of their holes on defense. I really like them this week because the Raiders are on a short week after playing on Monday night and the game is at 1 p.m. EDT.

That’s 10 a.m. back home in Oakland.

Darren McFadden is worrisome, but I have faith in this Bills team and The Ralph will be jumping. The last time Buffalo started the season with two straight wins was 2000.

Fantasy: Fitzpatrick will be a serviceable fantasy quarterback the entire season, and may even be a weekly starter, depending on how deep your league is. I wouldn’t buy the hype on Scott Chandler yet though. He could be this year’s Marcedes Lewis/Vernon Davis, but we don’t know yet.

The Redskins dominated the Giants for 60 minutes last week, and Rex Grossman eclipsed 300 yards passing. This week Washington hosts the Cardinals, who let rookie Cam Newton pass for over 400 yards in Arizona. I’ll admit that I’ve been downing some of the Washington Kool-Aid, but that being said, this is a great matchup. Neither Beanie Wells nor Kevin Kolb worry me, and Hakim Nicks had over 122 receiving yards in the loss against the Skins last week, leading me to believe that Larry Fitzgerald won’t win the game on his own. Don’t forget that Tim Hightower was traded from Arizona to Washington, and could be running with a chip on his shoulder.

Fantasy: Santana Moss and Fred Davis have great value because they’re consistent. Jabbar Gaffney and Anthony Armstrong are burners, but their production is much harder to predict.

Take away Ted Ginn Jr.’s two special teams touchdowns, and the Niners would’ve only beat the Seahawks by a measly two points. At home.

That’s not very good.

The Cowboys offense looked explosive Sunday night, and that was against the Jets, who’ve boasted a top-three defense the past two seasons. Tony Romo can’t screw it up every week, can he?

Fantasy: If Dez Bryant can't go Sunday, then Kevin Ogletree could be a flex play. He beat Darrelle Revis twice last week and fits very well into Jason Garret’s offense.

Did you really think I was going to pick against the guy who just threw for 500 yards? I’m sure people can talk themselves into betting on San Diego, but you’re doing just that.

Fantasy: Mike Tolbert isn’t a fluke. Well, maybe scoring three touchdowns is, but he and Ryan Matthews both carried the ball 12 times and Tolbert outgained him by 10 yards. Add in Tolbert’s nine catches (Matthews had zero) and you have the number one running back in San Diego.

The Broncos looked awful Monday night, and the only reason they lost is because Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 63-yard field goal. That’s nothing to get worked up about, but the folks in Denver are already calling for the prodigal son; Tim Tebow. Kyle Orton knows his job is on the line, and if he can’t beat the Bengals then all hell is going to break loose. Cincinnati was fortunate last week when Andy Dalton went down with an injury, allowing Bruce Gradkowski to lead them to victory. Dalton is back healthy this week, and, hopefully, will remain so.

Honestly, Dalton looked pretty good in his debut in Cleveland. But I’d rather bet against him than Gradkowski, who made backdoor covering his main hobby back in Oakland.

Fantasy: It looks like Knowshon Moreno may have duped us again. The Bengals are actually sneakily tough on defense too, making this a yucky play.

Arian Foster looks like he’ll return for the Texans, which is bad news for a Dolphins defense that just gave up a bazillion yards to the Patriots. On the other side, this is Wade Phillips’ first real test as Houston’s defensive coordinator, because the Colts were child’s play. Chad Henne looked good in the first half against New England, zipping the ball around the field, and Phillips will have to find away to slow him down. Mario Williams, who looked like a natural outside linebacker last week, will be instrumental in the defensive attack.

Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Jacoby Jones, Owen Daniels, and the aforementioned Foster are too much to handle on offense, and with a few stops this one could be ugly.

Fantasy: Ben Tate owners shouldn’t fret, he still has value even with the return of Foster. Foster’s hamstring could easily flare up, and I have a feeling Tate will get double-digit touches even if Foster is healthy. He might not be a start this week, but against weaker defenses he will definitely be a flex play.

See intro. I have no faith in the Falcons defense. They’re completely vulnerable against teams that can score with them, and I have a feeling that Michael Vick’s going to do more than just score with Atlanta in his homecoming.

Fantasy: Matt Ryan threw the ball 47 times last week without scoring a touchdown. He’s efficient, but he’s not a trustworthy fantasy quarterback.

I’m jumping off the bandwagon a bit prematurely, but it’s worth the risk because we’re getting six points. Both of these teams looked bad last week, but I think the Rams played bad and the Giants are bad. Of all my picks this week, I think this has the potential to be the most inaccurate, but I can’t put my faith in a banged-up defense. Sam Bradford was able to make all the necessary throws in practice this week with his injured finger, and if St. Louis can protect him, he might have a big game under the lights.

Fantasy: Carnell “Cadillac” Williams was the number one waiver-wire player this week. If for some reason he’s still available, you should grab him immediately — Steven Jackson is always injured.

Season Record: 5-9-2
Last Week: 5-9-2

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

*Photo courtesy of EbonyBird.com

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

Translate Request has too much data
Parameter name: request
September 09 2011, Rich Ryan

Football is back baby! After a torturous and confusing lockout, a hurried and frenzied signing period, and another uninspiring preseason, the National Football League regular season is under way. Many thanks to Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and whoever scripts NFL games for last night's gem — it was truly an instant classic. Let's be honest, outside of Green Bay, Wisconsin, who wasn't rooting for Brees to drive 80 yards for a score?

Everybody who bet the Packers, of course.

Without further ado we present to you our picks for the first week of the 2011-2012 NFL regular season. We started off 1-0 last night, so let's try and continue our winning ways.

This game is scary because of how much the public loves the Eagles, and we were on the fence until we heard that Jeremy Maclin will suit up at wide receiver for the birds. Maclin was battling an “unknown illness” during the preseason, but Maclin believes he is 100 percent, according to PhillySportsDaily.com, There’s also a chance that fellow receiver Steve Smith, who is recovering from microfracture surgery, will also play, giving Michael Vick all the weapons he needs on offense. Sam Bradford is poised to take a big step forward in his second year, but I’m not sure that he and the Rams will be able to keep up with the high-octane Eagles attack.

Fantasy: Last season, only Peyton Manning and Drew Brees had more pass attempts than Bradford. Rams head coach Josh McDaniels loves to throw the pill and the Rams should be down most of the game, making Bradford, Mike Sims-Walker, Danny Amendola, and Lance Kendricks interesting plays.

This game is far too important to be played on opening weekend — it could very easily determine who wins the AFC North. The Steelers are loaded on both sides of the ball, boasting a fast, hard-hitting group on defense, and an up-tempo, efficient squad on offense. Unless the wheels fall off at some point, Pittsburgh will be a team that we ride all season. On the other side of the field, the Ravens are somewhat uninspiring. Both Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are beginning to decline because of age, while Pittsburgh defenders like Lawrence Timmons and James Harrison are just now entering the prime of their career. At quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger is leaps and bounds better than Joe Flacco, who is turning out to be more of a “game manager.” Big Ben is capable of airing it out against this Ravens defense, especially here in September when the weather is more favorable.

Fantasy: Start your studs. Just because Rashard Mendenhall and Ray Rice are playing good defensive teams doesn’t mean you should automatically bench them. Unless you have three top-ten running backs, they should be in your lineup.

Betting against Andy Dalton could potentially become our new favorite pastime. Conversely, Colt McCoy is an incredibly accurate and gutty quarterback who is capable of leading the Browns to an above five hundred season. Believe that.

Fantasy: Avoid all Bengals, including Cedric Benson. For the Browns, keep your eyes on rookie Greg Little. He’s not a starter yet, but in the coming weeks he could easily become a flex player.

We need a refresher. Can someone tell us which one of these teams won ten games last year? Now which one is the most overhyped team in the NFL? The Lions are super talented (we have Calvin “Megatron” Johnson on nearly all of our fantasy teams), but there is no more room on the bandwagon. The hype went way too far with this team, and this line reflects that. We always like to try and fade the public. If all of the money is on one team, like it is here, often times we’re going to bet on the other side. There is no way the Bucs should be giving less than three points at home against the Lions, but because everyone is so pro-Detroit the line is skewed. Fade the public, fade the hype, and bet Tampa Bay.

Fantasy: Josh Freeman had a breakout season in 2010, making him a viable starting quarterback even in ten-team leagues, but the Lions front four will create problems for him on Sunday. You may want to bench him if you have other options at quarterback.

If the Falcons were at home we’d be doing The Dirty Bird without hesitation, but Atlanta is a bit soft outside of the Georgia Dome (see Week 1 of last year). The Bears are a complete mystery. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz successfully gutted the offense by removing the pass-catching tight ends (Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark) and bringing in one of his favorite receivers (Roy Williams). Jay Cutler remains a question mark, as well. We're not buying into the Falcons hype either though. Despite finishing with 12 wins last year they were embarrassed in the playoffs, and we still don’t trust their defense. This feels like a stay away game.

Fantasy: Ryan should probably be benched — this game has Michael Turner written all over it.

Has Houston ever been favored by nine points or more and covered? (That’s not a rhetorical question. We genuinely don’t know.) Kerry Collins isn’t Peyton Manning, but he’s not Curtis Painter either. Collins is very competent, and with the weapons the Colts have, this won’t be a blowout. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, and Arian Foster are certainly capable of lighting up the scoreboard, but something stinks about this line. Let’s take the Colts and hold on for dear life.

Fantasy: Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai are the only Colts you should consider starting.

So you’re telling us we're getting points with Chris Johnson against a team that cut its starting quarterback this week? Where do I sign?

Fantasy: Maurice Jones-Drew is the only Jaguar with significant fantasy value.

The Bills are actually a fairly talented team, but because they’re stuck in the AFC East, they can never escape with a respectable record. Ryan Fitzpatrick is an above average quarterback, Fred Jackson is a gritty, tough back, and Stevie Johnson is a legitimate deep threat. These two teams met last year at Arrowhead Stadium, and Kansas City squeaked out a three-point win. The Chiefs, who won the AFC West last year by the hair on their chinny chin chin, struggle against good teams, and the Bills shouldn’t be taken lightly. We like Buffalo to win outright — and to be a pest all year.

Fantasy: Fred Jackson could have a very nice game, especially in point-per-reception leagues. Dwayne Bowe is a start but keep an eye on him — he regressed mightily at the end of the 2010 season.

Tarvaris Jackson, or Alex Smith? Can we pick neither? Please? No?

This game has change the channel written all over it, and we would stay away, but if you absolutely have to wager on it, then take the Seahawks points. No outcome would surprise me, so having that extra cushion is always nice.

Fantasy: Frank Gore is a beast and should always be in your lineup, and the only other playable Niner is Vernon Davis. For the Seahawks, Sidney Rice and Marshawn Lynch can be in your lineup, but Lynch is safer than Rice because of Jackson’s erratic play at quarterback.

Here’s lookin’ at you, Kevin Kolb. Last year, Derek Anderson, Max Hall, and John Skeleton all failed miserably at getting Larry Fitzgerald the ball, but he still had 90 receptions. I think they finally have an NFL quarterback in Arizona, which will make the team immeasurably better. The Panthers are returning a handful a solid veteran players, especially on defense, but is Cam Newton really capable of competing at the next level with only five weeks of training camp under his belt? We think not. Unless DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart dominate the game, the Cardinals should be able to beat the Panthers by more than a touchdown.

Fantasy: Greg Olsen will be Newton’s security blanket when he can’t get the ball down field, giving him a chance to be a fantasy stud this and every week.

This feels like the year that Norv Turner finally gets it together. The Chargers led the NFL in total offense and defense last year, but missed the playoffs because of horrible special teams play. With the new kickoff rules they won’t have to worry about kick returns, and their offense will improve with the return of Vincent Jackson and a healthy Antonio Gates. The Vikings lost a key offensive weapon in Sidney Rice but traded for veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb. They will rely on Adrian Peterson more than ever, which is worrisome because the running back position is so injury-prone. We're expecting Philip Rivers and the Chargers to make a statement on Sunday — a 42-10 final isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

Fantasy: Mike Tolbert is much more reliable than Ryan Matthews, especially in PPR leagues. Not only does he catch the ball more frequently out of the backfield, but he also gets the bulk of the carries near the goal line.

Sexy Rexy time! Rex Grossman will start the season as the Redskins signal caller, which is probably best because he has more in-game experience than backup John Beck. Say what you will about Grossman, but he once led a team to played in the Super Bowl. The most exciting offensive player on Washington is Tim Hightower, though, because he has a shot to be one of Mike Shanahan’s “guys.” Hightower is a one-cut back with a decent burst who is capable of making plays out of the backfield. For the Giants, the preseason has been terribly disappointing. They lost their first-round pick Prince Amukamara for half of the season, defensive end Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Jonathan Goff have been sidelined with knee injuries, and defensive back Terell Thomas will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Plagued with injuries, the team limps into the season against a division rival with nothing to lose and everything to gain — never a good proposition. We also like home dogs, which makes this pick pretty simple.

Fantasy: Santana Moss has more upside with Grossman than Beck, so play him while you can. For the Giants, Eli Manning, Hakim Nicks, and Mario Manningham could be boom or bust. We're cautiously optimistic about the trio, but things look grim in New York.

*HOMER ALERT*

For those who don’t know, I am a huge Jets fan. My family has had season tickets since 2000, and I was named after former quarterback Richard Todd. Yeah, it’s that serious. All bias aside, though, the Jets have an edge over the Cowboys because of their play at cornerback. Darrelle Revis is capable of shutting down either Miles Austin or Dez Bryant completely, and Antonio Cromartie has the height, speed, and length necessary to cover Jason Witten when he breaks off of the line. Up front, gang green boasts one of the best rush defenses in the league and should be able to contain Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. The biggest concern is on offense. Rex Ryan’s brother Rob Ryan is Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, and he, like Rex, will dial up blitzes the entire game. If Mark Sanchez can protect the ball, and Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson can move the chains, the Jets should be able to control the clock — and the game.

Fantasy: Start your studs on Dallas. Greene and Santonio Holmes are the only players on the Jets that should be in your lineup.

In the past, the Dolphins were always capable of sneaking away with a win at home against the Pats. This year, the game is the first Monday Night Football tilt of the season, and with everyone watching, nothing is going to sneak by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. This has all the makings of a typical Pats route with the final score looking something like 45-13. There will be things to look for though, like (1) How Reggie Bush fares as a feature back and whether Daniel Thomas spells him frequently, (2) Whether Chad Ochocinco a factor, (3) What effect Stevan Ridley has, and (4) Whether the Pats defend the same without Brandon Meriweather?

We fully expect this to be a blowout, but even still there is a lot to learn from each and every NFL game.

Fantasy: Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski are both playable tight ends, with Hernandez having more upside.

The Broncos will be a much more balanced team this year with John Fox at head coach, and its defense will improve mightily now that Elvis Dumervil is back and healthy. For the Raiders, it’s the same old same old minus all-world corner Nnamdi Asomugha. For the first time ever (college included), Jason Campbell will start the season with the same offensive coordinator that he had the previous year. This is great for him because he knows the playbook and the terminology, but the team is still very average. Neither of these teams are exciting (what a horrible choice for primetime), but the Broncos are more stable (get it?), so we’ll lay the three points.

Fantasy: All Darren McFadden owners should also own Michael Bush. Even if you have to trade a better bench player, it's worth it because Bush’s upside if McFadden suffers and injury is astronomical.

Season Record: 1-0
This Week: 1-0

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

All betting lines are from Covers.com, and are accurate as of 11 a.m. EST

*Photo courtesy of EbonyBird.com

Follow Rich Ryan on Twitter — @RichTRyan

View the original article here

2 Septembre 2011, Rich Ryan

La semaine dernière nous avons discuté quarterbacks et running backs, cette semaine, il est temps de se concentrer sur les récepteurs de l'échelle et tight ends. L'importance de ces deux postes, surtout de wide receiver, a augmenté au cours des dernières années parce que le terrain est surpeuplée sur la plupart des équipes de NFL . La stratégie de « Running Back par Comité » créée time-shares à travers la Ligue, dévalorisation de nombreux dos. Aussi, le nouveau pass interference, holding défensive et des règles de contacts illégales rendent plus facile pour les récepteurs obtenir ouvert, menant des équipes pour lancer la balle plus que jamais.

Note : Les évaluations suivantes sont pour diffuse par les ligues de réception.

+ EV

Mike Wallace : Contrairement aux autres récepteurs élites (White Roddy et Reggie Wayne surtout), valeur de fantaisie de Mike Wallace ne dépend pas volume. Seulement il (60) et ses collègue BRULEUR DeSean Jackson (47) avaient plus de 1 000 verges, recevant l'année dernière avec moins de 70 réceptions. Wallace a également avait les pièces de plus de 20 mètres ou plus (26) entre les récepteurs et fut l'un des seuls dix wide-outs qui avaient touchés à deux chiffres. Ne pas laisser berner par la mystique de la Pittsburgh Steelers soit — il s'agit d'une équipe de lancer. L'année dernière, Ben Roethlisberger a mené la Ligue avec 13,33 yards par achèvement, et améliore le jeu passant uniquement avec l'addition de Jerricho Cotchery et la croissance de Emmanuel Sanders.

Kenny Britt : Si vous éplucher les questions sur le terrain avec cette knucklehead, vous allez trouver un récepteur extrêmement talentueux avec capacités phénoménales. Malgré les disparus quatre jeux l'année dernière et d'avoir à exécuter des itinéraires pour les quarterbacks comme Rusty Smith et Kerry Collins, Britt halé encore en 42 balles pour verges 775 et neuf touchés. Maintenant, il a fidèle vétéran Matt Hasselback sous le Centre, qui transforma ancien USC rejettent Mike Williams dans un récepteur de fantaisie viable l'an dernier à Seattle. Avec la dispute de contrat sur, Britt a aussi Chris Johnson dans le terrain, en lui donnant plus de possibilités individuelles, notamment dans la zone rouge. Si Britt peut surseoir à sortir de la crise, il est un récepteur haut de gamme no 2 avec le potentiel pour terminer dans le top 10.

-EV

Dwayne Bowe : Si vous aviez Dwayne Bowe dans les éliminatoires de la fantaisie, comme je l'ai fait l'année dernière, alors que vous, trop, peut rappeler les cauchemars vives. En playoffs NFL réels, Kansas City Chiefs quaterback Matt Cassel ciblé Bowe zéro fois. Zéro. Zilch. Nada. Disparition du Bowe est peut-être mon faisant, parce que chaque fois qu'il a marqué un touchdown (11), je joue la Chanson d'arc-en-ciel Double pour mes adversaires. J'est même allé aussi loin que rebaptisant un de mes équipes « Double Dwayne Bowe. » Mon célébrations s'est écrasé et incendié, toutefois, car les chefs commence enfin à jouer des bonnes équipes. En examinant le classement de l'an dernier, Kansas City avait la force plus facile de l'annexe de la Ligue. Cette année, à l'extérieur de leur division, ils jouent les Lions, patriotes, Steelers, ours, Jets et des Packers, avec les deux derniers adversaires venant des playoffs de fantaisie (semaines 14 et 15 respectivement). Non merci m. Bowe, je ne pense pas que je peux estomac répète pas une autre quand il le faut.

Brandon Lloyd : Je peux vous garantir que, à moins qu'il incombe à la cinquième manche ou va pour moins de 5 $ (dont il ne dans le projet d'un serpent ou la vente aux enchères), Brandon Lloyd ne sera pas sur toute mon équipe de fantaisie. L'an dernier, Lloyd est un produit du système ' Josh McDaniels , avec une moyenne de près de 19 yards par réception et inscrivant 11 touchés. Avant de 2011, Lloyd n'avait jamais éclipsé 1 000 verges réception ni avait il attrapa jamais plus de six touchdowns. Il y a un nouveau shérif à Denver, et en vertu de l'entraîneur-chef John Fox les Broncos va exécuter le football et le contrôle de l'horloge. Sauf si vous voulez supporter un mal de tête de long de la saison, éviter à tout prix Lloyd (que sonne comme une campagne).

+ EV

Aaron Hernandez : Les New England Patriots sélectionné fois Hernandez et ses collègue tight end Robert Gronkowski dans le projet de 2010. Gronk, comme ils appellent lui, conduit l'équipe avec dix touchdowns réceptrices, tandis que Hernandez a terminé troisième avec six apparitions d'extrémité de la zone. Les deux sont presque identiques en termes de réception yards et réceptions (45 Hernandez pour 563, Gronk 42 pour 546). Statistiquement Gronk a surpassé Hernandez ; Toutefois, je crois que Hernandez a capacité plus athlétique et beaucoup plus de potentiel. Les Patriots sont sans une menace profonde (Tchad évolue, Deon Branch et Wes Welker ont tous les jours meilleurs vus) et Hernandez semble être l'ajustement parfait pour Tom Brady. Si vous manquez à côté d'une des extrémités tight élites et d'attendre, Hernandez est quelqu'un que vous pouvez chercher dans les tours plus tard de votre projet.

Jimmy Graham : Comme Hernandez, Graham est dans sa deuxième année de la NFL sur une équipe qui aime à jeter la roche – les New Orleans Saints. L'année dernière, le diplômé de l'Université de Miami raccordé avec quaterback Drew Brees un simple 31 fois, mais tiré dans cinq touchés. Graham est une cible de la zone rouge fiable qui est assez rapide atténuer linebackers dans la couverture. Il brise de formation et aligne comme wide receiver en ensembles de propagation, permettant à lui-même à participer davantage à l'extérieur de la zone rouge. Brees et les Saints vont continuer à jeter la pilule autour du terrain, cette saison, et à l'année dans le cadre de sa ceinture Graham seulement va mieux.

-EV

Marcedes Lewis : Si vous êtes incapable ou refuse d'obtenir une des extrémités tight élites (Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark, Jason Witten peut-être Jermichael Finley) dans les tours précédents, vous devriez alors attendre et prendre votre tight end près de la fin du projet. Avec ce concept à l'esprit, Marcedes Lewis n'a absolument aucune valeur. En fait, ni faire Davis Vernon ou Kellen Winslow parce que d'en compléter un de ces trois extrémités tight vous allez avoir les prendre dans l'une des tours middle. Pouvez-vous vraiment dire que Lewis, Davis et Winslow ont plus de valeur que Greg Olsen? Zach Miller? Le trio susmentionné de Graham/Hernandez/Gronkowski ? Finley et Owen Daniels sont les extrémités tight seules que je suis "atteindre" pour, mais autre que celle à l'aise, je suis en attente de prendre quelqu'un avec beaucoup d'envers.

Tony Gonzalez : Gonzalez, à lui seul a révolutionné le poste de tight end et est un Hall of Famer du premier scrutin, mais cela ne signifie pas qu'il va être productif sur votre équipe fantastique en 2011. Récepteurs de faucons Roddy White, Julio Jones et Harry Douglas tous infiniment plus de talent que Gonzalez, et tous aura plus cibles (hormis la blessure) viennent de fin de saison. Parce qu'il y a tant des jeunes et talentueuses tight ends en bons systèmes autour de la Ligue, Gonzalez est littéralement pas draftable. Si vous prenez lui, vous gaspillez un spot de la liste de votre équipe.

Suivez-nous sur Twitter pour news minute près.

* Photo gracieuseté de EbonyBird.com

Suivez Rich Ryan sur Twitter — @ RichTRyan

View the original article here

26 Août 2011, Rich Ryan

Quand la Ligue nationale de Football entre le lock-out ce passé au printemps, beaucoup de fans se rapportaient à une chose : fantasy football. Que ferions-nous sans elle ? Heureusement, toutes les personnes concernées sont parvenus à un accord, et la saison NFL est à droite du coin. La plupart des ligues vont être rédaction dans les deux prochaines semaines, donc nous avons décidé d'offrir des conseils de fantaisie pour chaque poste. Cette semaine, en première partie, nous sommes offre sous-évalué (+ EV) et surévalué (-EV) joueurs aux positions quaterback et de running back. Vérifiez dans la semaine prochaine pour wide receiver, tight end, défense et kicker.

+ EV

Josh Freeman : La saison dernière, Josh Freeman était deuxième parmi les quarterbacks en se précipitant yards derrière Michael Vick, et pourtant il a jamais marqué un touchdown tumultueuses. Vick a atteint l'extrémité de la zone neuf fois, donc si Freeman peut couper que dans la moitié de cette année il font de lui un top dix quaterback. Aussi, précision et la prise de décision Freeman amélioré puissamment l'an dernier – seulement Tom Brady avait un meilleur rapport / touché-à-interception.

Peyton Manning : Avant de m'appeler fou et fermez votre navigateur, m'entendre. Lésions nerveuses de Manning sont inquiétante, à tout le moins, mais j'ai l'impression que la haine va aller trop loin dans la semaine prochaine. Certains d'entre vous vont être rédaction, et d'une certaine façon Manning va être encore autour du sixième ou septième tour. Prenez lui aussi vite que possible. La blessure frappe clairement lui de l'étage supérieur (pour le moment), mais il a encore une tonne de valeur et toujours produit. Sauf si vous êtes dans une Ligue 16 ou plus, vous pouvez facilement avoir une équipe avec, disons, Manning et Matthew Stafford, ou Manning et Sam Bradford. Si tel est le cas, alors Manning vaut bien un cinquième-, sixième ou septième-tour de draft.

-EV

Michael Vick : Michael Vick est, sans doute, un des meilleurs quarterbacks de fantaisie disponibles, mais il ne vaut pas un premier tour ou début second tour de draft. Disons que vous avez au septième rang dans votre projet. Les six élites running backs ont disparu (Adrian Peterson, Foster Arian, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew sans ordre particulier), et si vous décidez d'aller du quarterback. Prenez Aaron Rodgers. Il a moins upside, oui, mais il est aussi moins sujettes aux blessures et a une ligne beaucoup mieux offensive que Vick Philly. Vick a le potentiel de transformer n'importe quelle équipe un vainqueur, mais vous habituellement ne peut pas gagner la Ligue dès le premier tour de la draft de votre fantaisie. Vous pouvez certainement perdre, cependant.

Matt Ryan : Matt Ryan est une sauvegarde de fantaisie. Période. Il est dur comme les clous et très efficace pour les Falcons, mais il y a tellement des gars avec avantages que j'aurais plutôt que Ryan. Une courte liste de ces joueurs comprend Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford et Sam Bradford, ne pas être dupe parce qu'il est un bon joueur sur une bonne équipe et ne peut certainement pas être dupe par la présence de receveur rookie Julio Jones. Numéros de Ryan ne juste assez impressionnants et Jones va avoir besoin d'au moins un an à développer au niveau suivant.

+ EV

Shonn Greene : Sonner l'alarme d'Homère. Les Jets sont une équipe de course en premier et, contrairement à l'an dernier, Greene est maintenant au dos de la fonctionnalité. Il n'est pas un fantasme numéro un retour – malgré avoir la chance d'être – mais il est certainement un solid numéro deux, et il n'est pas être rédigé comme un. Actuellement, il se passe autour de joueurs tels que Cedric Benson (équipe terrible), Mark Ingram (recrue, non prouvée) et BenJarvus Green-Ellis (terrain de trois hommes). Pour où vous allez au projet de lui, Greene est une grande valeur et a le potentiel d'avoir une saison de petits groupes.

Knowshon Moreno / Willis McGahee : Denver Broncos sélectionneur Que John Fox aime pour exécuter le football. En vertu de la Fox, il y a trois ans des Carolina Panthers DeAngelo Williams et Jonathan Stewart combinés pour plus de 2 300 verges et 28 touchés. L'année suivante, les deux combinés pour plus de 2 000 verges et 18 touchés. L'an dernier, Moreno a été un dos de deux fantaisie numéro solide alors qu'avec une moyenne de seulement 14 transporte un jeu. Sa nouvelle orthographe, McGahee, a volé cinq touchés du riz Ray l'an dernier à Baltimore et a développé un véritable nez à l'extrémité de la zone. Deux de ces joueurs permettra d'accroître leur productivité en vertu de l'entraîneur Fox, supplantation place les deux valeurs de leurs fantaisie.

-EV

Foster arien : De l'Université de Tennessee, ils appelés Arian Foster « Tâte Foster » car il mettre continuellement le ballon sur le terrain. L'été dernier, il n'allait même pour commencer pour les Texans de Houston – dos recrue Ben Tate était censé capitaine du terrain. Tate got hurt et Foster a explosé, terminant l'année comme le meilleur dos en fantasy football. Je suggère que si vous avez un des trois premiers choix, faire preuve de prudence. Famille d'accueil puisse être facilement une merveille d'un an, tandis que Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson (malgré l'exclusion), Jamaal Charles et Ray Rice ont tous été productive pendant plus d'un an. Aussi, Vontae Leach, un des meilleurs fullbacks de la Ligue, a laissé les Texans de bloquer pour le riz à Baltimore, éliminant certaines des valeurs de Foster. Pouvez Foster ont une autre superbe année ? Absolument. Mais si j'ai un des premiers choix, je vais utiliser sur quelqu'un qui est prouvé qu'ils vous être productifs (sauf en cas de dommage) chaque année.

Peyton Hillis : Peut-être la haine est allé trop loin avec 12 Madden couverture-boy Peyton Hillis, mais je ne vais pas où près de lui dans aucune de mes brouillons. Malgré de finition dans le top cinq parmi fantastique dos l'année dernière, Hillis a été listé comme « douteuses » chaque semaine sur le rapport des blessures les Browns et est un casse-tête pour les propriétaires. Son style brutalement physique de l'exécution de feuilles que lui battu après chaque match et à un certain moment cette saison il ratera temps. Running backs sont beaucoup plus à risque de dommage parce qu'ils se frappés autour de tant de choses, alors pourquoi serait vous voulez rédiger un bélier humain ? Il y a beaucoup de dos insaisissables autour de Hillis (Darren McFadden, Matt Forte, Ahmad Bradshaw) qui sont beaucoup plus sécuritaires en cours d'élaboration. Si Hillis est autour de la fin de la troisième ronde ou le quatrième, lui accrocher, mais n'atteignent pas dans le deuxième ou le début en troisième.

Les mises à jour, nous suivre sur Twitter et comme nous sur Facebook.

* Photo gracieuseté de EbonyBird.com

View the original article here