Ramblings: Fantasy Football Preview

It's here, it's here, it's HERE! Like a theif in the night, the NFL lockout ended, free agency and training camp happened and now the NFL season is a pubie hair away. And I couldn't be more excited.

Not only does this mean I can stop watching the Mariners score 4 runs or less night in and night out, but it means I get to start talking Fantasy Football again. With one draft in the tank and another a week from today I'm going to let you in on my thoughts about this upcoming football season for the nerds.

Here is who I like this season:

Quarterback

Michael Vick- look, the dude played in 11 games last year and scored 300 points. If he continues playing like he did last year, he only needs to play 10 games for him to be a top 5 running back. Mathew Berry had a stat on the BS report that had Vick (stat wise) a top 10 quarterback AND the 16th best RB. By that math, you are basically starting an additional player when you have Vick.

Aaron Rodgers- After last years playoff run/Superbow win- Brett Favres former back up is king dick untill proven otherwise. The last three seasons Rodgers has played in 47 of 48 possible regular season games and had touchdown totals of 28-30-28.

Ben Roethlisberger- If you are in a league that scores sexual assaults, don't let Big Ben's newly minted marriage scare you from picking him up. If you are in a boring league that only counts what he does on the field, expect a huge year from the Assualtlisburger. Last year, he led the league in yards per completion. Had he not been suspended for four games for calling an audible in a Ladies Room of a night club, we would've been looking at someone who in the 22-26 touchdown range and 4200 yards. Still not convinced? Then allow me to remind you that Mike Wallace is still a Steeler.

Tom Brady- 3900 yards. 36 touchdowns. 4 fucking interceptions.

Tavaris Jackson- That was a joke. And a mean one at that.

Running Backs:

• Adrian Peterson- Don't agree? Fuck you.



• The rest of the field: Running backs are a crapshoot every year. After AP, I can talk myself out of every RB in the league and just wait for this year's Payton Hillis to come out of nowhere and string together back to back 150 yard games. So we are going to switch it up, and I'm going to list the rest of the top five and why I WOULDN'T take them:



• Chris Johnson- just showed up to camp. Thats a missed block, super concussion waiting to happen. True, if he plays 16 games he is a threat to push 2000 yards. But a hold out Running Back getting super injured is a story that has been told, and told and told again. Be aware.



• Arian Foster- That dude has a bad hamstring and a good running back waiting to take his spot. Thats not a good equation. That being said, he did lead the league in rushing last year.



• Ray Rice- I actually don't have anything negative to say, other then he plays for Baltimore. Even that is not a good detractor, so, you should probably take him.



• Jamaal Charles- he was cool last year because while AP and Chris Johnson went for 60-70 dollars in auction drafts, Charles went for 25. Now he's going in the Ellite running back neighborhood. That shouldn't stop you from getting him, but it definetly makes it less cool to own him.

Wide Reciever

Larry Fitzgerald- Why? Because he doesn't have Max Hall or Derek Anderson skipping balls to him anymore. The fact that Larry didn't kill someone or get decapitated himself by being led to far across the middle is a miricle in itself, let alone the fact that he managed to catch 90 balls. Here is a prediction: Larry is catch 110 balls this year.

Roddy White- Four straight years of 80+ catches and 1100 yards, including last years monsterous 115 catch, 1389 yards 10 touchdown campaign.

Megatron- Calvin should be a crime fighter, not a reciever. Fortunately for whoever aquires him, his profession is still the latter.

Andre Johnson- He guarentee's you 5 games every year where you find yourself thinking the cornerback owed him money and thats why you are looking at the stupid stat line that he put up. On the flip side, he also guarentee's you a stupid injury. He comes with a buyer beware lable for sure.

Mike Wallace- Just a hunch, but I feel like you're gonna want this guy.

Those were probably fairly obvious so I'll dig a little deeper for those of you who need my genius: I feel like Tony Romo is going to bounce back this year. That Dallas offense looked 700 times more effective after Jason Garrett successfully sabotouged Wade Phillips coaching career.

I have this lingering feeling that Payton Hillis is going to blow out his knee this year. I have nothing to back that up with other then running back who come out of nowhere often go back into the hole inwhich they came quickly. I hope I'm wrong, the league needs a white running back to keep everyone on their heels.

I want to be able to say Sidney Rice, Mike Williams and Zach Miller are going to be fantasy sleeping giants this year. But I'd also like to say someone other then Tavaris Jackson or Chaz Whitehurst are the Seahawks Quarterbacks. Unfortunately, I can't on all five accounts. My only hope is Tavaris finds his inner-Willie Beamen.

While I'm on the subject of players to stay away from, lets talk about Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams. First Gore, who is coming into this season with only 1 full season under his belt in 6 tries. He is 28 (the year running back start to die), returning from an injury, and bitching about his contract. Plus, he is still in an offense being led by Alex Smith. In other words, this is not going to end well.

DeAngelo Williams is somewhat in the same vain. He is coming 28 and fresh off a season that end injury. The difference with him is that he isn't bitching about money, because he just got grossly overpaid. The Carolina Panthers outbidded themselves to overpay an injured, aging running back.

Lastly, I imagine there will be alot of you people clammoring over OchoCinco. You will use arguements like: he is out of Cincy, he is playing for a ring, and he has Tom Brady throwing to him. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I secretly agree. Publically, I am going to say the Patriots/OchoCinco relationship will end badly. Possibly a shade under Dawayne Wade and his now ex wife badly. But secretly ( and since this blog is my forum for making my secret thoughts public), I can see Ocho rebounding and putting together one last solid season. Mind you, he won't be taking it to the pay dirt 23 times like Moss did in 2007, but I don't think it's outrageous to see him dance 11 times.

Also, if I could add one piece of advice for those of you getting ready to draft your teams. Don't drink and draft. I did for one of my leagues last year and won 3 games. Don't do it. You will draft someones backup for shits and giggles then over pay for Shone Greene (who wouldn't be a bad pick up this year).