By Pete Smits
Grab Bag --- your ultimate
source for free agent pick-ups
Information is everywhere,
coming from multiple sources in real-time. The best thing we can give you is
educated opinions to compare with your own and that of the other sources you
use. The Grab Bag has a track record that speaks for itself, but opinions are
exactly that – opinions. This is a predictive column based on our best
information available, and the Crystal Ball usually works well. The Grab Bag
strives to keep you at least one week ahead of your competition by screening
the one week wonders and separating them from the future stars.
And, one final bit of
business; I authored a book on Fantasy Football strategy, and prepared a third
edition, with almost 40% additional material, presently available online
through Fantasy Insights and soon at a publisher near you or your laptop.
Please visit http://fantasyinsights.stores.yahoo.net/fafoforbland.html
to review the Table of Contents and a detailed description of the
work. Thanks for checking it out.
So, let’s get started on a
winning season…..
For any newcomers out there
--- the Grab-Bag column by itself is available Monday mornings during the
season with the first and earliest opinions on worthwhile pick-ups for the
upcoming week. The extended version of the Grab-Bag, which includes my
Satellite League exploits then arrives in the Weekly Report, available
Wednesday evening. In this version of the column, changes and additions from
Monday morning are italicized and occasionally highlighted in bold or red type
as appropriate.
The first week of this
column is always somewhat limited as by definition the point is to highlight
players that are likely to be on your free agent list or waiver wire, not to
upgrade or downgrade players that are already owned in most leagues.
Nevertheless, we always come up with something of interest.
Good luck with your
upcoming seasons --- good research leads to good results!
GRAB ‘EM
QUARTERBACKS
Joe Flacco, Baltimore
Ravens
With a little help from the
less than stellar Raven QB corps, the rookie from Delaware finds himself
starting his career opener at home against the Bengals – not the worst of
introductions to the league all things considered. With Kyle Boller
suffering a severely injured shoulder and Troy Smith dealing with a
throat infection of some sort, the job belongs to Flacco for the time being.
He has all of the skills, needs to be a bit more flexible and mobile, but
should fare reasonably well against an inferior defense and in what will likely
be a tame offensive set of plays. If you can stash him on your bench without
detriment, give it a shot, see what happens.
Gus Frerotte, Minnesota
Vikings
This one may take an extra
week or two, but despite the Vikings’ attempts to keep erratic 2nd
year QB Tarvaris Jackson on the field playing with a knee brace, this
team has too much talent to deal with Jackson’s rambling and rumblings for too
long. Stash veteran Frerotte on your bench for a week or two if necessary, you
may be rewarded with the bulk of the starts in a competent, often explosive offense.
Trent Edwards,
Buffalo Bills
The latest from
Bills’ camp is that Edwards will be ready for the opening day match-up against
the Seahawks. He is still raw at times, but should also turn in some good
efforts over the course of the year and is a better choice to run the offense,
accordingly a good thing for all Buffalo skill players.
J.T.
O’Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers
And, in case
anyone missed the news, O’Sullivan is the latest OC Mike Martz project to
create a top-notch QB from an unknown – given that Martz thought enough of the
young man to bring him over from Detroit and that the Lions were willing to let
him go, he should be a huge success and a decent FF dark horse QB for you.
Kurt Warner,
Arizona Cardinals
In the final “old
news” segment, veteran Warner starts the season under center and accordingly
further benefits the Cardinal receiving corps. As long as he stays healthy,
the numbers should be good from this corner.
RUNNING BACKS
Rudi Johnson, Detroit
Lions
Leave it to the Lions to let
younger players go and bring in a big back on the decline, but after being
released by the Bengals, Johnson quickly found a home in Detroit, where he will
likely get goal line carries and share some time with rookie Kevin Smith
given that the team is about to release Tatum Bell.
Chris Perry / Kenny
Watson, Cincinnati Bengals
And along with the piece of
news above, the Bengals are apparently confident in going into the season with
a RB tandem of Perry and Watson. But, with Perry only staying healthy for
about five games in five years, give or take and despite his ankle problems of
the past two years apparently behind him, Watson proved that he can carry the
load effectively as an every down back and should have that role by the time
BYE weeks begin.
Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore will sport a very
young team on offense this season, even more so depending on whether veteran Willis
McGahee is healthy enough to start the season after having knee surgery
during the preseason. Sooner or later this season, the rookie TD machine from
Rutgers will post some decent numbers and then some if all goes well for him.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Steve Smith, Carolina
Panthers
Sure, he’s not on any FA
lists, but a few of you may still have drafts before the season begins Thursday
evening. Contrary to where I’ve seen Smith being drafted in experienced
leagues even, he is not dead nor out for more than the first two games of the
season while suspended. This season should be one of his best with ample help
at WR from Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett, in the running game
with DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart, along with QB
Jake Delhomme back and healthy – get on the stick and make sure he does
not last past your second round, third at worst.
Bobby Engram, Seattle
Seahawks
Another injury clarification
– the productive veteran will not be out past Week 4 with a fractured shoulder
blade and could be the leading WR for the Seahawks even with missing the first
three games or so.
Reggie Brown, Philadelphia
Eagles
And, the last in a series –
with other starter Kevin Curtis definitely out for a time with a sports
hernia, which just sounds painful, Brown could be ready to start the season as
he recovers from a hamstring tweak. Every season we await his breakout year,
this one looks as if it has a good a chance as any to finally get there.
FROM THE DEEP:
This section is devoted to
deeper leagues to try to give a few names that are still available and may make
an impact later in the year.
Jerome
Harrison, RB, Cleveland Browns
A minor bit of
news unless you are either an obsessive Browns’ fan or plan to build your team
around Jamal Lewis, but for whatever reason, the smallish Harrison is
now second on the depth chart behind Lewis, moving Jason Wright to the
third string back-up slot. Harrison offers good speed and receiving ability
out of the backfield, while Wright resembles Lewis in his general approach and
ability.
Courtney Taylor, WR,
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ WR’s are more
injured than not with Deion Branch, Bobby Engram and even Ben
Obomanu banged up – the team hopes that lanky, talented second year Taylor
steps into a starting role and never looks back.
SATELLITE LINK … in orbit in
a Fantasy Football league near you…..
Fundamentally, this season is
about applying what I know about FF in general and more specifically, learning
from a mediocre season in this league in 2006 and an improved, but not
satisfying season in 2007. The key point from the previous season is that this
is a WR-oriented league --- know your rules, as I state in my book and in my
columns --- the starting line-up has to consist of a minimum of two RB’s and
three WR’s --- the flex player can then be a 3rd RB, 4th WR or 2nd TE.
As it turns out,
we had our draft Labor Day afternoon, so about eight hours before this report.
After a few seasons of learning curve, my general approach this year was to
take a few more flyers and risks and allow myself the flexibility to make the
safe calls and pick-ups during the Free Agent transactions during the season.
The 2008 edition
of “Off the Grid” (note, one way or the other, we will have a PDF of the entire
draft available for anyone interested):
This season, I
ended up in the always interesting spot of drafting 12th in a
12-team league, thus having the advantage of making two picks at a time and
having a certain ability to start a “run” or two –
Rounds 1-2: with
the usual run on RB’s, along with the backward-looking pick of Tom Brady, after
Randy Moss and Reggie Wayne left the board right in front of me, I continued
the trend with two star WR’s that each have potential upside this year even
from very impressive 2007 seasons: Terrell Owens and Braylon Edwards.
Rounds 3-4: even
as I suppress my usual tendency to grab RB’s with my first picks, I still need
backs, drafting consistency behind a good O-line in Earnest Graham , followed
by upside and a hope for an Adrian Peterson-like inaugural year with Darren
McFadden.
Rounds 5-6: we
need a solid QB, so Big Ben Roethlisberger it is, along with TE Dallas Clark as
Witten, Winslow, Gates and Gonzalez all went in the 4th round (Gonzo
with 1st pick in 5th round).
Rounds 7-8:
bolstering the RB corps with what I believe to be a solid starter in Bengals RB
Kenny Watson along with up and coming Colt WR Anthony Gonzalez, likely to have
a huge season if Marvin Harrison is not back in form and a good one regardless.
Rounds 9-10:
building more RB depth with outside taking Jerious Norwood, who will share or
take over from former Charger Michael Turner, who does not have the experience
of running behind an inferior line that Norwood has after a few years in
Atlanta and grabbing a solid DEF/ST in the Chicago Bears.
Rounds 11-12:
with the need for solid WR’s a priority in this league, am willing to wait a
few games to reap the benefits of veteran Bobby Engram and with Roethlisberger
healthy enough, still willing to back up the QB spot with Aaron Rodgers who
should do a solid job taking the reins for a good Packer offense.
Rounds 13-14:
given the injury prone Ahman Green, at present I acquired the starting RB in
Houston with Chris Taylor, who may eventually give way to rookie Steve Slaton
presently suffering from a toe injury, always a concern; and given the good
results that players seem to show upon joining the Jags, taking a shot at
veteran WR Jerry Porter.
Rounds 15-16: at
some point, we break down and take a K with Rob Bironas of the Titans, along
with another potential starting RB in the resurgent Kevin Jones, now with the
Bears.
Rounds 17-18:
this pick worked out well given the Engram selection, as 2nd year
Courtney Taylor is expected to start the season opposite Nate Burleson and will
either do well or be dropped when Engram returns; the Antonio Bryant pick was
based on early season returns from the Bucs where Bryant was the most
impressive WR in the TB preseason.
Rounds 19-20:
and, trying to make something happen in the last rounds, burner Jamaal Charles
from Texas behind now fragile Larry Johnson and improving WR Nate Washington,
who posted decent numbers last season opposite Santonio Holmes for much of the
season.
Overall, will
give the effort a B+ as I believe I made every pick count, built a solid
starting corps and took players with upside in the later rounds. Among other
things, have learned to be a bit more patient on drops once the season begins
and to emphasize the WR corps even more than before. Good luck with any
remaining drafts as the next few days still offer ample opportunities ----
And, that’s all I
have, we battle on, as should you.
Good luck in all things in
life, onward and upward.
Smitty@fantasyinsights.com
