Here’s the short story - Michael Turner will be drafted too high in most leagues.

Here’s the long version. Few back-up running backs in the league boast more potential than Turner. Playing behind a super-stud like LaDanian Tomlinson completely negates his lack of carries - there simply weren’t any to spare on a team with a superstar of that caliber. When he did have his chances - he often looked like a diamond in the rough. Now that he has moved on to the Atlanta Falcons - fans are anxious to see if he can turn sporadic flashes of brilliance into a pro-bowl type season.

Don’t bet on it. Or at least don’t bet the farm. There are a lot of factors working against Turner having a big fantasy season - here are a few:

Sharing Time: Although Warrick Dunn has left town, Jerious Norwood is still a Falcon. The 3^rd year back out of Mississippi State has more carries in both of his two seasons then Turner has in any of his four - and boasts a better career average per carry - a fairly impressive 6.2. Regardless of who gets the majority of carries - I assure you that Norwood is not going away. Even the team announced Turner as a “compliment.” Best case scenario for Turner - assuming he blows the coaches’ socks off in training camp - is a 70-30 split - but I would guess the number falls closer to 50-50. Continue Reading »

With the combine over and the top names in Free Agency already signed, it’s a great time to look toward the NFL Draft coming up April 26-27. The following is my first round mock draft, reflecting partially who I think teams should pick, and partially who I think teams will pick. Obviously things change every day in the NFL, and trades, signings, and injuries will have a big influence on the way things play out. Be that as it may, here is a look at what might happen during that last week of April.

A fantasy outlook on the offensive players is included as well. Continue Reading »

Running back Ryan Grant went from obscurity to the spotlight last year, catching on with the Green Bay Packers during training camp and finishing the year as the starter for the team that came up a win short of the Super Bowl. Along the way, he put up a terrific partial-season’s worth of numbers, rounded out a dangerous Packer offense and had a signature outing in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, bouncing back from two lost fumbles early to hang 201 yards and three touchdowns on the Seahawks in a 42-20 Green Bay win.

Yet Grant’s breakout season was largely ignored in the aftermath of the season, as Green Bay quarterback/icon Brett Favre announced his retirement soon after the Super Bowl and most of the offseason questions surrounding the Pack have regarded Favre’s successor, former first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers.

Fortunately for Grant and his 2008 fantasy owners, the end of an era at quarterback shouldn’t affect the young tailback’s ability to pile up numbers. As long as Grant continues to run like a man with something to prove and stays healthy, he’ll be a vital cog in a Packer offense that will stay dangerous even without Favre under center. Continue Reading »

This article deals with the tendency of some fantasy football team owners to over-analyze weekly match-ups. Analyzing weekly match-ups is important when deciding between two marginal starters. However, focusing on match-ups too much can lead to one very frustrated owner.

For example, Reggie Brown and Laveranues Coles would have been marginal starters on most fantasy football teams for the 2007 season. They scored approximately the same fantasy football points for the season (managing enough points to finish in the top 36 wide receivers from a fantasy football standpoint). If a team owner happened to have both of these players on his fantasy football team, match-ups would likely have played a big factor in determining which of them to start on any given week.

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Fantasy football hopefuls recognize that a successful draft is critical to hoisting that championship trophy. Any distraction or insecurity you can create for the opposition gives you an edge. This article presents a tongue-in-cheek look at several strategies to help you get inside the head of your opposition. Continue Reading »