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How Many Leagues Is Too Many?

So tell me, how many leagues are you in? Some fantasy players wear the number of leagues in which they compete like a badge of honor? I can hear them now: “You’re only in 5 leagues? You’re a lightweight. The last time I was in only 5 leagues, I drafted Y.A. Tittle.” If you’re one of these people, I applaud you. Because I tried it last year, and let me tell you, by the end of the season, I was a shell of a man.

For the longest time, I juggled just three leagues. There is the league that I run, which is an NFC-only league with an auction, a league with a talent pool so shallow that guys like Brad Hoover set off bidding wars. I also am in 10-team and 12-team draft leagues. And I’ve never felt the craving for more, sort of like how I feel after I eat Arby’s.

But last year, something happened. I learned how to use a computer. (I know, it’s sad that a 35-year-old man took this long to step into the 21st-century. I churn my own butter too. Get over it.) And I discovered something mystical and alluring, much like the call of the siren that beacons sailors to their watery graves. I discovered online leagues.

I tried one out, just on a whim, and I found that I loved the idea of drafting against people from across the country. I loved talking smack with people from Montana when they drafted J.J. Arrington. Let’s face it, I just love drafts. That’s the best part of any fantasy season. And by doing it at my computer, I wasn’t gaining 15 pounds eating four hours worth of hot wings and pizza. Fantasy football and clear arteries: I could have it all.

And then the season began. You know running eight teams at once isn’t as easy as it sounds. My in-box, previously reserved for loving e-mails from my better half, was suddenly filled with injury reports and trade offers from teams with subtle names like Keith’s Skull-Crushers. And following eight different teams each Sunday was a little like trying to determine the gross national product of Bolivia with an abacus. The ticker would roll on the bottom of the screen and I would start to go into convulsions and babble incoherently about the field goal range of Nate Kaeding.

I will say that I somehow managed to make the playoffs in 6 out of 8 leagues (inculding one on Fox Sports in which I was locked out on draft day and the computer, in its infinite wisdom, drafted J.P. Losman as my quarterback). I was greatly aided by the fact that I had a pretty good hunch about Tony Romo and had him in the majority of the leagues. (I also had Vernon Davis in a majority of the leagues. That didn’t help so much.) I didn’t win any, but I put that down to bad luck more than anything else, or at least that’s what I told myself to stop from crying myself to sleep.

And so, dear friends, I vow not to go down that road again. Three leagues is enough for this hombre. Well, maybe four. Five tops. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go call my fantasy football anonymous sponsor.

Overall Fantasy Impact: Average

Offensive Outlook: The offense in Seattle was potent last year but unbalanced.

The Hawks hope they’ve solved that problem by cuttting ties with former star Shaun Alexander and adding the younger legs of Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett to join Maurice Morris to form a solid rushing attack behind an offensive line that looks solid again.

Last year, the passing attack sizzled, but lack of depth at receiver could cause some problems in ‘08. Continue Reading »

Overall Fantasy Impact: Below Average

Offensive Outlook: After finishing last in the league in points and yards, you knew that the 49ers were in for big changes on the offensive end.

In addition to brand new starting receivers, the biggest change comes with the arrival of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator.

It should be interesting, because the Niners’ biggest offensive assets are a power runner (Frank Gore) and an athletic tight end (Vernon Davis), positions that were usually overlooked in Martz’s stints in St. Louis and Detroit.

Either Martz will adjust, or the 49ers will spend the year trying to fit square pegs into round holes. Continue Reading »

It seems not so long ago that Marvin Harrison was the consensus number one receiver in fantasy leagues. The debates at the position began after him. As we get set to begin the 2008 season- a year Randy Moss holds that distinction- some owners wonder if Harrison’s better days are behind him.

Harrison’s best days are certainly history- but this does not mean he should be ignored. And the reality is- he is not being ignored. In most drafts, Marvin is being selected in the mid-sixth, early seventh round- and he is on a roster in virtually every league.

A serious knee injury robbed Harrison of 10 games in 2007- and at the age of 36 there is some question as to just how far back he will be able to rebound. Now the stink of an ugly incident in Philadelphia- one involving Harrison, a fancy gun owned by Harrison that was allegedly involved in a shooting, and evasive answers to the police- is still lingering in the air. Prosecutors will not rule out pressing charges.

Even pre-injury, Marvin was not setting the fantasy world on fire. In the early ’07 games he did play- Harrison failed to break 100 yards- and only scored 1 TD. In those same games- Reggie Wayne scored 4. It’s clear that Wayne has assumed the position of Ace in the Colts WR corps. But if you were paying attention to the Colts’ first pre-season contest in 2008- you would have seen Harrison catch 3 balls for 22 yards in very limited action- and later you might have heard him say the knee feels “absolutely fine.” This means that one of the greatest receivers of all time is back- ready to play- and starting for one of the best offenses in the league (5th best in ’07). Continue Reading »

Overall Fantasy Impact: Average

Gone is Mike Martz and his pass-at-all costs offense. The Lions plan to try a more traditional approach this time so defenses can’t completely disregard the run as they did in the Martz era.

To that end, the Lions drafted small-school star Kevin Smith to compete for the running back job. If he can come through, that should mean more openings for Jon Kitna and his talented receiving crew.

QUARTERBACKS: This may be the last year for Kitna as the Lions undisputed starter, since local favorite Drew Stanton is waiting in the wings.

Kitna topped 4,000 yards for the second straight year, but his 18 TD passes were tied for 15th in the league. Like the rest of the Lions, he came out of the gate fast (8 TDs in his first four games) before the bad times began. If his young receivers stay healthy and he gets support from the running game, that TD total could go up, making him a decent mid-round sleeper.

Stanton will likely get his chance this year only if Kitna gets hurt or the team gets off to an awful start. Continue Reading »

Overall Fantasy Impact: Average

Offensive Impact: What happened to the Greatest Show on Turf? The Rams managed to finish just 24th in offense and 27th in points last year, a far cry from the days of Warner, Faulk, and Co.?But don’t panic just yet. Injuries played havoc with them last year, and any team with Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, and Torry Holt can’t be dismissed. Expect results this year from the Rams somewhere between the lofty Mike Martz days and the low point they hit last season.

QUARTERBACKS: Bulger couldn’t stay healthy last season, and even when he did, his numbers sagged. He had twice as many games without a TD pass as he did with multiple scores. He also lacks the receiving weapons he once had, but playing indoors against shaky NFC West defenses always helps. He’s not a slam-dunk starter anymore, but he’s still valuable in favorable match-ups and worth a look in the middle rounds.

Trent Green is back with the Rams as a back-up, but at age 38, you can’t expect too much.

RUNNING BACKS: Jackson managed just 6 total TDs last year, which absolutely crippled the teams that drafted him in the first round last year. He still rambled for 1,002 yards despite missing four games, which shows he was productive when he played. His messy holdout isn’t helping matters now, but his talent is too great to allow him to get by the first round. If things break right, he could be back at the top of the heap in fantasy production this year. Continue Reading »

It’s way too often in fantasy football that owners get excited about young promising players and draft them early, only to be disappointed by lackluster follow-up campaigns. Back in the mid-90’s there were illustrious running backs such as Ronald Moore, quarterbacks like Scott Mitchell, and receivers earlier this decade like Michael Clayton who all fit this underachiever definition.

This year, there are several prospects at multiple positions. Owners will wonder if Adrian Peterson can follow his 2007 Rookie of the Year award with more amazing statistical feats. Will Tony Romo continue his assault on Dallas Cowboy passing records? Most interesting might be the question of whether or not Green Bay WR Greg Jennings is for real.

Jennings certainly seems like the real deal. He greatly improved his route-running ability in his second season, and he has soft hands.

Additionally, he has uncanny run-after-the-catch ability, making him deadly on slants and crossing routes. He has enough speed to go deep, and he’s shifty enough to give it to him short. Continue Reading »

With much less fanfare than Brett Favre received in New York- Chad Pennington has landed with the Miami Dolphins.

There was no meeting with the mayor. No army of helicopters circling his airplane as it arrived in Miami. No lightning storm of flashbulbs as he walked through the airport terminal.

Still- there is a new quarterback in a new city- and the inevitable question will arise heading into your fantasy draft.

Is Chad Pennington worth a spot on a fantasy roster?

Much more uncertainty surrounds Pennington than the man who supplanted him in New York. In the first place- has Chad even been given the starting job?

As of this writing- technically- no. Continue Reading »

Overall Fantasy Impact: Average

Offensive Outlook: It’s the oldest story in the book, but in Arizona there’s a bit of a twist.

Instead of the grizzled veteran trying to hold off a talented youngster for the quarterback job, third-year man Matt Leinart is the guy under siege from 37-year-old Kurt Warner.

Whoever wins the job will be in charge of a potent passing attack that should remain one of the league’s best as long as star receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald stay healthy and a suspect offensive line holds up.

QUARTERBACKS: Leinart had one decent game out of five and was already losing playing time to Warner before being felled by a broken collarbone last year. All reports say that the former Heisman winner has rededicated himself to being a great quarterback, but he better not falter early.

With Warner looming, Leinart is an extremely risky pick as a fantasy starter. But if he keeps the job, the numbers should be top-notch. Continue Reading »

Everyone is talking about it. Everyone. So why shouldn’t we?

Brett Favre is a New York Jet.

That does not roll off the tongue.

Tongue twisting aside- we have a new fantasy question coming at us relatively late in the drafting season. Is Brett Favre a viable fantasy QB?

The short answer is- yes. But that’s only because, aside from rookies, every starting QB is a viable fantasy option. Consider the less glamorous names of Kurt Warner, Jay Cutler, and Jon Kitna. All three finished in the top 13 of fantasy QB’s last year (10, 12, & 13 respectively). That means all of them belonged on fantasy rosters carrying 2 QB’s- and Warner and Cutler technically earned starting spots in the fantasy world. They finished ahead of sexier names like McNabb, Rivers, and Young. So any QB who has been given the starting nod (which Favre most certainly has) is a viable fantasy player.

But Favre is a lot more than just a starting QB- isn’t he? He’s a hall of famer. He’s a Super Bowl champion. He’s a three time MVP. So- in the parlance of our times- where’s the love? Continue Reading »