Fantasy Clicks: The one and only PPR spectacular
| Recent Fantasy Clicks 8-21-09: The PPR Spectacular To End PPR Spectaculars 8-19-09: The Obligatory Favre-Unretirement Breakdown 8-17-09: How To Dominate Your Draft 8-14-09: Tom Terrfic, Thin 'Skins & A Vick Flick 8-12-09: 'Royal Pains' Has Moved To Tuesdays 8-10-09: Meet The Avoidables/HOF Revelations 8-07-09: Defending The (Seemingly) Indefensible 8-05-09: Welcome To The Hotel California 8-03-09: Houston, We Shouldn't Have A Problem 7-31-09: Meet The New Fantasy Four Horsemen 7-29-09: The Obligatory All-Favre Revelations 7-27-09: The Great American RB Race For No. 1 7-24-09: Buehrle's Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection 7-22-09: It's All About The Slot -- #9 7-20-09: Ian's Opening Salvo/Parting Shot 7-17-09: It's All About The Slot -- #6 7-15-09: MLB All-Star Game Revelations 7-13-09: Another Twin-Killing Under The Dome 7-10-09: The Giant Beast Walks Among Us 7-08-09: It's All About The Draft Slot: #1 7-06-09: Just Another Day At The Bronx Zoo 7-03-09: Meet Your Fantasyland All-Stars 7-01-09: Fitz & His Merry Men Of Angry Rushers 6-29-09: The Joys Of Stealing Home On The Road 6-17-09: Joe Versus The Volcano Of Expectations 6-15-09: Phabulous Phantasy Goodness in Philly 6-12-09: Fenway Franks & Losers' Angst 6-10-09: Where Fantasy Eagles Dare Fly 6-08-09: Marathon Men Take Over Petco Park 6-05-09: Mr. 300 Goes To Washington 6-03-09: Just Shooting The Bayou Brees 6-01-09: Angels and speed demons in SoCal 5-29-09: Fantasy foxes invade the desert 5-27-09: A Study In Jungle Karma 5-25-09: M&M Boys' A-list production 5-22-09: It Was A 20-to-1 Shot, Doc 5-20-09: SI's Bout with NFL Mock Madness 5-18-09: Tigers making most of split personality 5-15-09: Chris Davis ... Built For Fun 5-13-09: Not Favre From Over? Ugh! 5-11-09: Prince Albert's Great American Day 5-08-09: Manny's Suspended Animation 5-04-09: The Man Of Steal Rides Again 4-29-09: Dangers of RB Overpopulation 4-27-09: It's All About The O's 4-24-09: The New Falconer 4-22-09: Fantasy Breakdown Of NFL Sked 4-20-09: The Utlimate Fantasy Catch-22 4-17-09: Cyclist Of The Century 4-15-09: NFL Slices Of Heaven, Part II 4-13-09: All Hail The Check-Swing King 4-10-09: Welcome To Adventureland 4-08-09: NFL Slices Of Heaven 4-06-09: Opening Night Revelations 4-03-09: Draft Night Revelations, Part II 3-30-09: Draft Night Revelations, Part I 3-27-09: Draft Rules To Live By 3-23-09: Catch A Rising Star 3-20-09: Look Out For Pick No. 1 ... and 24 3-18-09: PVR Perfect 3-17-09: Don't Forget About Me 3-13-09: Welcome To Spring Break 3-12-09: LT2 Losing His Charge 3-11-09: Sudden Impact 3-09-09: Hip, Hip ... Hurry Back, A-Rod 3-06-09: Revenge Of The Cyst 3-05-09: A Disappointing Deadline Day 3-04-09: Cosmic Charlie 3-02-09: Aces In The Hole 2-27-09: Depth Perceptions 2-23-09: NFL Combine Revelations 2-20-09: Designated Long Drivers 2-19-09: The Brady Hunch 2-16-09: Seeking Sweet Relief 2-13-09: Sneak peek at an MLB mock draft 2-12-09: Boozer's Snoozer Of A Season 2-11-09: Impossible to ignore 2-9-09: The Secret Life of A-Rod 2-6-09: Pick of the 2B litter 2-5-09: Time for a fantasy bailout 2-4-09: Another winged wonder? 2-2-09: Super Bowl Revelations 1-30-09: Super Bowl Clicks 1-29-09: Aussie Re-Open 1-27-09: Fire sale! 1-26-09: Tim Lincecum vs. the world 1-23-09: The can't-miss kid? 1-22-09: Rip off! 1-20-09: No consolation prizes 1-19-09: Championship Sunday Revelations 1-16-09: Into the great wide open |
Prelude To A PPR Spectacular
Reggie Wayne: Chris Graythen/Getty Images |
As promised, we present the ultimate guide for Points Per Reception leagues. Every sector -- minus the mini-Revelations from Thursday's only noteworthy game -- has one singular focus: To help you dominate your PPR drafts, many of which will come after the Week 3 slate of exhibition games. But just in case you HAD to schedule a draft this weekend, here's The Word on PPR stars like Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, Felix Jones, Steve Breaston, Eddie Royal, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Tony Gonzalez and Chris Cooley.
Four Thoughts From Eagles-Colts
Indianapolis 23, Philadelphia 15
1. What a difference a week makes! Just six days after looking lethargic against the Vikings, the Colts offense attacked the Eagles with full force on the first three drives, racking up 177 yards and two touchdowns. Peyton Manning (167 yards, 2 TDs) led the charge in the first quarter, hitting Anthony Gonzalez on a 3-yard scoring strike ... and then Reggie Wayne for a 76-yard touchdown down the left side. On the day, Wayne finished with 90 yards receiving. In terms of the running game, Joseph Addai (26 total yards) and rookie Donald Brown (14 total yards) were relative non-factors, partly because Indy's offense had a pass-first, pass-second mentality from the get-go. As I've said many times in recent weeks, Brown has an excellent shot at being the best rookie back in fantasyland this season -- especially if Chris "Beanie" Wells and Knowshon Moreno are sidelined with injuries.
2. In limited action, Colts WR Austin Collie had the look of a productive rookie. But I'm not sure he'll be able to meet or surpass Gonzalez' numbers from his rookie campaign of 2007 (37 catches, 576 yards, 3 TDs). Speaking of newbies ... where did Jacob Tamme come from on Thursday, pulling down five catches for 60 yards -- which doesn't account for a woulda-coulda-shoulda touchdown early in the game.
3. As for the Eagles, I was blown away by DeSean Jackson's 39-yard touchdown catch against solid double coverage in the first quarter. The Colts defenders were essentially draped over the second-year receiver for the longest time, but D-Jax's amazing closing speed sealed the deal in the end zone. Right now, Jackson is listed as the 25th-best PPR receiver (six spots behind A-Gonzalez) in Fanball magazine ... but I'd be surprised if he didn't register at least 1,000 receiving yards and nine TDs in 2009.
4. Philly's offense amassed all of 23 rushing yards against Indy, descipable numbers even with Brian Westbrook on the sidelines and LeSean McCoy and Lorenzo Booker only toting the rock 12 times (for 12 yards). In my mind, Week 3 represents Westbrook's last chance to clinch his status as a high Round 2 pick. If he cannot get back on the field and display a few glimpses of greatness against Jacksonville ... then I am officially waiting until pick 25 before considering him for all drafts. Do I believe he'll return to prominence before it's all said and done? Of course. But at the same time, there's just too much to lose in September -- unless I know I'll get the McCoy handcuff, as well.
PPR Rules To Live By
1. Always Be Thinking Receiver
Obviously, you'll need quarterbacks, running backs, defenses/special teams to complement receivers and tight ends on PPR-based rosters. But no matter the round, you should always be pondering the next WR move, or at least factoring in how each draft pick adds value to the PPR format. Do my running backs have the capacity for 4 or more catches a game? Do I want to start a wide receiver in the RB/WR flex position every time? Will my QB regularly complete 21 or more passes every week? Should I move heaven and earth to "handcuff" my quarterback (Matt Schaub) to a receiver who catches 95-plus balls in his sleep (Andre Johnson)?
2. Block Out Any Negative Thoughts About Reggie Bush
Yes, I'm aware the injury-addled Bush has only played in 38 of 48 games (27 starts) in the last three years. Yes, I know his receptions have tumbled considerably since 2006 (88-73-52). And yes, I fully realize that Pierre Thomas is likely the clear-cut No. 1 rusher in New Orleans. That aside, when Bush is healthy, he's a certifiable monster in PPR leagues (especially those that reward kick-return points). In the Saints' first five games last year, Bush averaged 21.2 PPR points per outing (compared to Larry Fitzgerald's 21.1 during the same span); but true to form, injuries curtailed his second-half production. Someday, Bush will remain healthy for an entire 16-game slate and approach the megahype that once surrounded his NFL baptism. At the very least, he's a wonderful asset to have early in the season. But good luck on guessing which week he'll tear more meniscus in his knee.
3. Know Your Golden Goose Eggs
In standard-scoring leagues, Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles, Felix Jones, Leon Washington, Marshawn Lynch, Dominic Rhodes, Jamaal Charles, Wes Welker, Eddie Royal, Lance Moore, Antonio Bryant, Derrick Mason and Steve Breaston would have good-to-marginal-to-nonexistent value before a draft. But to effectively win a PPR championship, you'll likely need at least five of the 14 above names on your opening-day roster. Take the Pats' Welker, for example: Sure, he'll probably lose a TD battle to some up-and-comer like San Diego's Vincent Jackson ... but the Grand Canyon-like disparity in catches (Welker caught 223 balls in 2007-08) makes this matchup a blowout for the ages. The same holds true for Washington. On a carry-by-carry basis, he simply cannot compete with a bulldozer like Brandon Jacobs (1,089 rushing yards in '08) in normal leagues; but in PPRs, with 45-50 extra points from receptions, it's a virtual dead-heat between the pair.
4. Know Your Avoidables
Anyone would be crazy to let Michael Turner slip past Round 1 of a PPR league, even if he has only 17 total catches in five pro seasons. Bottom line: You can conveniently look the other way and simply be happy with Turner's 1,700 total yards and 17 TDs. But after that, there's a group of reception-challenged RBs (Jacobs, LenDale White, Jamal Lewis, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, Justin Fargas, Rashard Mendenhall) for whom you'll want to delay picking -- at least one round past their ADP value in standard-scoring leagues. On the flip side, you'll want to reach for Bush, Sproles, Washington, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew and Matt Forte, to name a few.
5. Quarterbacks Can Wait
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: In 10- or 12-team leagues, there should never be any great incentive to spring for a quarterback early on ... unless Drew Brees, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady slides into Round 3 (and even then it's debatable). After that run concludes, resume your time-tested strategy of letting QBs fall to you in Rounds 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Target Practice -- Wide Receivers
A receiver is only as good as his quarterback ... and the number of opportunities he gets to make a catch (known as Targets). Here are last season's Target leaders:
1. Brandon Marshall, Broncos (181 Targets)
2. Andre Johnson, Texans (170 Targets)
3. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (157 Targets)
4. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (155 Targets)
5. Calvin Johnson, Lions (154)
6. Wes Welker, Patriots (151)
7. Roddy White, Falcons (149)
8. Greg Jennings, Packers (148)
9. Terrell Owens, Cowboys (now Bills -- 140)
10. Braylon Edwards, Browns (138)
11. Santana Moss, Redskins (138)
12. Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers (137)
13. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals (now Seahawks -- 137)
14. Reggie Wayne, Colts (130)
15. Eddie Royal, Broncos (129)
16. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals (129)
17. Randy Moss, Patriots (126)
18. Hines Ward, Steelers (125)
19. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (125)
20. Derrick Mason, Ravens (121)
21. Lance Moore, Saints (121)
22. Torry Holt, Rams (now Jaguars -- 121)
23. Laveranue Coles, Jets (now Bengals -- 120)
24. Donald Driver, Packers (119)
25. Santonio Holmes, Steelers (116)
26. Steve Breaston, Cardinals (115)
27. Deion Branch, Seahawks (114)
28. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets (113)
29. Isaac Bruce, 49ers (111)
30. Matt Jones, Free Agent (111)
1st & 10, Do It Again ... Go, Go!
Understandably, most fantasy owners only care about receptions, yards and touchdowns when it comes to wide receivers. But I'd like to introduce a crucial stat to Clicks -- one that directly affects the three primary categories: First downs earned off receptions. In fact, here's a top-25 listing of active wideouts (with ties) who expertly moved the chains in 2008:
1. Andre Johnson, Texans -- 79 first downs
2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals -- 65 first downs
3. Brandon Marshall, Broncos -- 63 first downs
4. Reggie Wayne, Colts -- 61 first downs
5. Roddy White, Falcons -- 60
6. Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers -- 60
7. Derrick Mason, Ravens -- 59
8. Steve Smith, Panthers -- 57
9. Wes Welker, Patriots -- 56
10. Anquan Boldin, Cardinals -- 55
11. Greg Jennings, Packers -- 55
12. Hines Ward, Steelers -- 52
13. Vincent Jackson, Chargers -- 52
14. Calvin Johnson, Lions -- 52
15. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals (now Seahawks -- 51)
16. Santana Moss, Redskins -- 50
17. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs -- 49
18. Lee Evans, Bills -- 46
19. Randy Moss, Patriots -- 46
20. Muhsin Muhammad, Panthers -- 46
21. Steve Breaston, Cardinals -- 44
22. Laveranues Coles, Jets (now Bengals -- 44)
23. Donald Driver, Packers -- 44
24. Isaac Bruce, 49ers -- 43
24a. Jerricho Cotchery, Jets -- 43
24b. DeSean Jackson, Eagles -- 43
24c. Eddie Royals, Broncos -- 43
Double Your Pleasure
Need a hint as to which receiving tandem will rule the roost in 2009? The forward-thinking genuises at Rotoworld have painstakingly crunched the numbers, determining the 'winners' in the vital categories of Targets, Catches, Yards Receiving and Total TDs:
Targets: Larry Fitzgerald (160), Anquan Boldin (137) = 297 total
Catches: Wes Welker (103), Randy Moss (85) = 188 total
Receiving Yards: Larry Fitzgerald (1,455), Anquan Boldin (1,101) = 2,556 total
TDs: Fitzgerald (13), Boldin (10) = 23 total
Since we're on the subject, here are this season's top-15 WR tandems:
1. Larry Fitzgerald/Anquan Boldin, Cardinals
2. Randy Moss/Wes Welker, Patriots
3. Andre Johnson/Kevin Walter, Texans
4. Lee Evans/Terrell Owens, Bills
5. Reggie Wayne/Anthony Gonzalez, Colts
6. Brandon Marshall/Eddie Royal, Broncos
7. Marques Colston/Lance Moore, Saints
8. Vincent Jackson/Chris Chambers, Chargers
9. Hines Ward/Santonio Holmes, Steelers
10. Chad Ochocinco/Laveranues Coles or Chris Henry, Bengals
11. T.J. Houshmandzadeh/Deion Branch or Nate Burleson, Seahawks
12. Greg Jennings/Donald Driver or James Jones, Packers
13. Bernard Berrian/Sidney Rice, Vikings
14. Dwayne Bowe/Bobby Engram, Chiefs
15. Josh Morgan/Michael Crabtree or Jason Hill, 49ers
Practice Makes Perfect
Sports Illustrated and SI.com should always be your primary source for voluminous information leading up to fantasy drafts ... but if you're in the mood to participate in a LIVE mock draft on the Web -- while learning NOT to reach for Torry Holt before Round 10 -- here are the best destinations for real-time mocking:
**Mock Draft Central
**AntSports.com
**CBS Sports
**ESPN Mock Draft Lobby
**Fantasy Football Calculator
And With The 5th Pick In A PPR Draft ...
Here's a great strategy for nailing your PPR draft with the No. 5 pick (12-teamer):
Round 1, Pick 5: Motive -- Best overall player
1st option: WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals ... 2nd option: RB Steven Jackson, Rams
Round 2, Pick 20 overall: Motive -- Best RB or WR available (a tad too early for QBs)
1st option: WR Greg Jennings, Packers ... 2nd option: WR Anquan Boldin, Cardinals
Round 3, Pick 29: Motive -- Best RB available (ONLY QB considerations: Brees, Manning, Brady)
1st option: RB Kevin Smith, Lions ... 2nd option: WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs
Round 4, Pick 44 overall: Motive -- Best RB/WR/QB available
1st option: RB Joseph Addai, Colts ... 2nd option: RB Marshawn Lynch, Bills
Round 5, Pick 53: Motive -- Best RB/WR/QB (too much TE depth to reach here)
1st option: WR DeSean Jackson, Eagles ... 2nd option: RB Larry Johnson, Chiefs
Round 6, Pick 68 overall: Motive -- Best RB/WR/QB/TE available
1st option: RB Felix Jones, Cowboys ... 2nd option: QB Matt Ryan, Falcons
Round 7, Pick 77 overall: Motive -- Best QB/WR/RB available (last chance to land a great QB1)
1st option: RB Donald Brown, Colts ... 2nd option: WR Jerricho Cotchery, Jets
Round 8, Pick 92 overall: Motive -- Best WR/RB/QB/TE available
1st option: QB Carson Palmer, Bengals ... 2nd option: RB Darren Sproles, Chargers
Round 9, Pick 101 overall: Motive -- Best TE/RB/WR/QB (perfect spot to grab TE1 or QB2)
1st option: TE John Carlson, Seahawks ... 2nd option: WR Percy Harvin, Vikings
Round 10, Pick 116: Motive -- Best QB/RB/WR available
1st option: QB Matt Cassel, Chiefs ... 2nd option: WR Chris Henry, Bengals
Round 11, Pick 125: Motive -- Best RB/WR/TE available (DON'T even think about a D/ST)
1st option: WR Chris Henry, Bengals ... 2nd option: WR Josh Morgan, 49ers
Round 12, Pick 140: Motive -- Best WR/TE/RB available
1st option: TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings ... 2nd option: RB Kevin Faulk, Patriots
Round 13, Pick 149: Motive -- Best RB/WR/TE/QB available
1st option: QB Jason Campbell, Redskins ... 2nd option: RB Jerome Harrison, Browns
Round 14, Pick 164: Motive -- Best TE/RB/WR available (you have permission to draft a kicker)
1st option: RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs ... 2nd option: WR Sidney Rice, Vikings
Round 15, Pick 173: Motive -- Best kicker or defense
1st option: D/ST San Diego Chargers ... 2nd option: D/ST Philadelphia Eagles
Round 16, Pick 188: Motive -- Best defense or kicker
1st option: PK Kris Brown, Texans ... 2nd option: PK Matt Prater, Broncos
I Tweet, Therefore I Am
I'm a little ambivalent on the whole Twitter thing. Yes, I'm happy to finally have an account (@SI_JayClemons) -- one that fantasy football fans can access 24/7 with questions/comments about players, teams, drafts and starting lineups. Yes, it's great to "follow" hilarious celebrities like Michael Ian Black, Kevin Pollak, Jason Segel, Steve Carell, Stewie Griffin, Bonnie Hunt and, of course, Statler and Waldorf of Muppets fame. And yes, it's sweet to already have more than 250 followers after a few days of service. However, Twitter is more voyeuristic than Facebook, and I cannot help but wonder if this one-sided e-fad won't outlast the Pet Rock from the 1970s.
In the meantime, I will try to pass the Twitter downtime with inane (and sometimes comical) comments like the following:
"Whoever created the reality-TV show More To Love oughta be drawn, quartered ... and then patted on the back for a job well done!"
"What's the over/under for combined TDs between Brett Favre and Brady Quinn in Week 1 @ Cleveland? I'm guessing 3 ..."
"How's this for irony: Brandon Marshall gets 'demoted' but moves ahead of Steve Smith (who SHOULD be ready for Week 1) in the WR rankings" ..."
"I wonder if two people have ever exchanged fisticuffs after fighting over which Hostess cupcake tasted better -- the yellow or brown?"
"I must apologize to the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives ... I was wrong to lump you in with Kylie Minogue's 'Locomotion' ...
"Because you can't spell "American Soccer Fun" without Capri-Sun! ..."
"I did a little research on who was the first celebrity to regularly attend Lakers games: None other than Mr. Haney of Green Acres fame ..."
"Thank god for IMDB ... how else would we know what Lacey Underall is up to these days -- 30 years since the filming of Caddyshack? ..."
"Billy Mays ... say it ain't so, brother? ..."
"The NFL Network's Missing Rings series has been great ... suggestions for next batch -- '80 Browns, '79 Rams, '82 Jets, '84 Dolphins ..."
We Interrupt Fantasy Clicks ...
... To announce the arrival of Sports Illustrated's fantasy football spectacular, available online and at magazine racks nationwide. This 168-page tome is chock-full of rankings, columns (two from yours truly), features, draft-day advice, in-season strategies, booms, busts and an experts' mock draft, enlisting an army of SI's award-winning fantasy and NFL writers (including Peter King). Last but not least, it boasts perhaps the coolest cover of any fantasy magazine you'll ever see!
Am I overselling it a little bit? Perhaps. But the early feedback I've gotten from my fantasy brethren suggests SI's first major foray into fantasy football will be an absolute triumph -- and that it could become an all-time best seller within the genre. (UPDATE: My well-placed moles have informed me that SI's fantasy mag is indeed the top seller to date ... sweeeeeet!)
Target Practice -- Tight Ends
Chris Cooley: AP |
The headline pretty much says it all, doesn't it? Here are last year's leading tight ends in Targets:
1. Tony Gonzalez, Chiefs (now Falcons -- 155 Targets)
2. Jason Witten, Cowboys (121 Targets)
3. Chris Cooley, Redskins (111 Targets)
4. Dallas Clark, Colts (107 Targets)
5. Owen Daniels, Texans (100 Targets)
6. Antonio Gates, Chargers (92 Targets)
7. Zach Miller, Raiders (86 Targets)
8. Bo Scaife, Titans (83 Targets)
9. Greg Olsen, Bears (82 Targets)
10. Kellen Winslow, Browns (now Buccaneers -- 82 Targets)
11. John Carlson, Seahawks (80 Targets)
12. Dustin Keller, Jets (78 Targets)
13. Desmond Clark, Bears (73 Targets)
14. Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars (72 Targets)
15. Jeremy Shockey, Saints (72 Targets)
16. Heath Miller, Steelers (65 Targets)
17. Todd Heap, Ravens (64 Targets)
18. L.J. Smith, Eagles (now Ravens -- 64 Targets)
19. Billy Miller, Saints (62 Targets)
20. Tony Scheffler, Broncos (61 Targets)
Meet The Dependables
One good turn deserves another ... here are the revised rankings for the NFL's top 25 safety blankets in the passing game:
1. Jason Witten, Cowboys
2. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons
3. Antonio Gates, Chargers
4. Dallas Clark, Colts
5. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers
6. Owen Daniels, Texans
7. John Carlson, Seahawks
8. Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings
9. Greg Olsen, Bears
10. Zach Miller, Raiders
11. Chris Cooley, Redskins
12. Vernon Davis, 49ers
13. Dustin Keller, Jets
14. Jeremy Shockey, Saints
15. Brent Celek, Eagles
16. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions
17. Todd Heap, Ravens
18. Heath Miller, Steelers
19. Kevin Boss, Giants
20. Tony Scheffler, Broncos
21. Chase Coffman, Bengals
22. Shawn Nelson, Bills
23. Anthony Fasano, Dolphins
24. Bo Scaife, Titans
25. Ben Utecht, Bengals
The 40 & Over Club
Personal feelings aside regarding the fantasy viability of Jeremy Shockey (looooong injury history) and Tony Scheffler (Josh McDaniels' poor track record with tight ends in New England), here's something to consider: CBSSports.com's projections for every tight end who'll tally 40 catches. Noticeably absent here are three neglected veterans with solid upside (Todd Heap, Vernon Davis, Anthony Fasano) and three rookies ready to take the pros by storm (Brandon Pettigrew, Shawn Nelson, Chase Coffman):
Jason Witten, Cowboys -- 85 catches
Dallas Clark, Colts -- 81 catches
Tony Gonzalez, Falcons -- 81
Chris Cooley, Redskins -- 75
Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers -- 71
Antonio Gates, Chargers -- 69
Greg Olsen, Bears -- 67
Dustin Keller, Jets -- 64
Owen Daniels, Texans -- 58
John Carlson, Seahawks -- 52
Kevin Boss, Giants -- 52
Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings -- 51
Zach Miller, Raiders -- 51
Bo Scaife, Titans -- 45
Brent Celek, Eagles -- 43
Tony Scheffler, Broncos -- 42
Jeremy Shockey, Saints -- 42
Heath Miller, Steelers -- 40
PPR Madness: Running Backs
At the risk of penalizing Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner too much for being wallflowers in the passing game, here are this season's PPR-RB rankings, from No. 1 (Matt Forte) to No. 40 (Cedric Benson):
1. Matt Forte, Bears
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
4. Steven Jackson, Rams
5. Michael Turner, Falcons
6. Chris Johnson, Titans
7. Frank Gore, 49ers
8. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
9. Brian Westbrook, Eagles
10. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
11. Marion Barber, Cowboys
12. Steve Slaton, Texans
13. Reggie Bush, Saint
14. Clinton Portis, Redskins
15. Darren McFadden, Raiders
16. Kevin Smith, Lions
17. Darren Sproles, Chargers
18. Brandon Jacobs, Giants
19. Marshawn Lynch, Bills
20. Larry Johnson, Chiefs
21. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
22. Ryan Grant, Packers
23. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers
24. Felix Jones, Cowboys
25. Joseph Addai, Colts
26. Pierre Thomas, Saints
27. Derrick Ward, Buccaneers
28. Chris "Beanie" Wells, Cardinals
29. Ray Rice, Ravens
30. Leon Washington, Jets
31. Thomas Jones, Jets
32. Chester Taylor, Vikings
33. Willie Parker, Steelers
34. Jamal Lewis, Browns
35. Michael Bush, Raiders
36. Willis McGahee, Ravens
37. Kevin Faulk, Patriots
38. Earnest Graham, Buccaneers
39. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos
40. Cedric Benson, Bengals
Target Practice -- Running Backs
Once again, the headline says it all ('08 leaders):
1. Matt Forte, Bears (77 Targets)
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers (77 Targets)
3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (75)
4. Kevin Faulk, Patriots (74)
5. Reggie Bush, Saints (73)
6. Brian Westbrook, Eagles (73)
7. Warrick Dunn, Free Agent (68)
8. Marshawn Lynch, Bills (67)
9. Frank Gore, 49ers (66)
10. Steven Jackson, Rams (62)
11. Chris Johnson, Titans (62)
12. Marion Barber, Cowboys (61)
13. Leon Washington, Jets (61)
14. Dominic Rhodes, Colts (now Bills -- 59)
15. Steve Slaton, Texans (59)
16. Derrick Ward, Buccaneers (55)
17. Jerious Norwood, Falcons (54)
18. Kevin Smith, Lions (54)
19. Chester Taylor, Vikings (54)
20. Mewelde Moore, Steelers (53)
Radio Daze
What can I say? Outside of my lovely bride-to-be, family, friends, work and reruns of Family Guy, fantasy football IS my life from July-December. If I'm not re-reading one of the 12 fantasy magazines that engulf my coffee table this time of year, or mindfully watching old DVR'd broadcasts of Fantasy Fix (starring John Hansen and Scott Ferrall) ... I can probably be found listening to (or downloading) one of the hundreds of fantasy-related podcasts on the Web. In fact, here are my top 5 favorite football-specific podcasts/radio shows (excluding this shameless plug for my own show on Blog Talk Radio, "Your Fantasy, Our Reality," with SI.com colleague Jeff Ritter from 4-5 p.m. EST every Monday):
1. Sirius Radio -- "Sirius Fantasy Football" with John Hansen and Adam Caplan
2. ESPN -- "Fantasy Focus" with Matthew Berry and Nate Ravitz
3. CBSSports.com -- "Fantasy Football" with Dave Richard and Jamey Eisneberg
4. KFAN in Minneapolis -- "Fantasy Football Weekly" with Paul Charchian
5. RotoWire.com -- "Fantasy Sports Podcast" with Adam Craig and Danny Goldin
What Happens In Vegas ...
Have you heard the gleaming (but oh-so-conservative) city of Las Vegas is throwing the biggest fantasy football-related bash in the history of fantasy football-related bashes from Aug. 27-30? In the immortal words of Paul Harvey (or Rich Hall) ... "it's true, it's true." Seriously, in a joint effort with every major hotel along The Strip, Vegas will be hosting Fantasy Football Superdraft 2009 for hardcore (and gambling-minded) fantasy fans and their respective league drafts. With great hotel rates, amazing flight bookings and a chance to meet Stacy Kiebler, Shannon Elizabeth, Gary Dell'Abate, Matthew Berry and Molly Sims ... there's no reason to miss the Blowout of All Fantasy Blowouts (unless you have a previous engagment regarding your actual "engagement party"). But I digress.
I Cannot Leave Without Touting ...
The sparkling edition of the 2009 Sports Illustrated/Citizen Sports Fantasy Football Game (presented by Pepsi Max). For those who haven't accessed this amazing application yet on Facebook ... what are you waiting for? And for those whose lives have already been consumed with fantasy football before Calvin Johnson even catches his first ball in the preseason, check out Jeffrey Ma's omnipresent fantasy blog on Citizen Sports.
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