Hec & Vic's Power Rankings

Monday, August 16, 2004

Hec & Vic are always thinking Fantasy Football. So with everyone doing some kind of Power Rankings, Hec & Vic dabble as well. Rankings are based on past performance and future potential and, as always, are subjective. And if you don't like 'em, blame them!

POWER RANKINGS (As of Friday, Aug. 13)
1. Priest Holmes, RB, GB - We're controversial, but not that controversial. He's simply the best.
2. Clinton Portis, RB, Was - Gibbs is going to ride him like Tony Stewart rides the No. 20 car.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, SD - Not likely to rest easy despite fat, new contract.
4. Ahman Green, RB, GB - Remember Terrell Davis with John Elway? Yeah, same deal here.
5. Edgerrin James, RB, Ind - Another year removed from surgery and looking to make FA dollars.
6. Deuce McAllister, RB, NO - Does a little bit of everything. Actually, he does a lot of everything.
7. Marvin Harrison, WR, Ind - Running backs rule, but 20 touchdowns (could happen) are 20 touchdowns
8. Shaun Alexander, RB, Sea - Slipping into the Chris Warren-underrated mold in the Pacific NW.
9. Fred Taylor, RB, Jac - Forget injury-prone, he's played 32 games the last two seasons. Won't repeat TD frustration.
10. Jamal Lewis, RB, Bal - Anyone who needs analysis from Roger Cossack worries us.
11. Randy Moss, WR, Min - Scores like a running back and piles up yards like a receiver. Nice combo.
12. Peyton Manning, QB, ind - Get the feeling we think the Colts will have a good offense?
13. Daunte Culpepper, QB, Min - We'll forgive the turnovers because of the rushing TDs.
14. Corey Dillon, RB, NE - You think a defensive whiz of a coach hasn't wanted to run the ball more?
15. Torry Holt, WR, StL - Has made the holy trinity of fantasy wideouts a quartet.
16. Terrell Owens, WR, Phi - Fantasy doesn't take off points for ignorance, and he's going to post numbers.
17. Kevan Barlow, RB, SF - We worry about scoring chances. Quick, name their starters at quarterback and wide receiver.
18. Michael Vick, QB, Atl - New system, new responsibilities, same running backs have us thinking he could struggle.
19. Marshall Faulk, RB, StL - NFL running backs over 30 aren't great bets for fountain of youth treatment.
20. Rudi Johnson, RB, Cin - Dillon will be plenty good for the Patriots, but the Bengals won't miss him.
21. Donovan McNabb, QB, Phi - All he needs to do is stay healthy. All right, stay healthy and throw 30 TDs.
22. Domanick Davis, RB, Hou - The Texans are for real, and so is their running back.
23. Hines Ward, WR, Pit - Very underrated, it's up to Tommy Maddox to find him.
24. Michael Bennett, RB, Min - Sure, we're worried about how much he'll score, but you can't ignore the yardage threat.
25. Stephen Davis, RB, Car - Would be much higher if not for the pesky presence of Deshaun Foster.
26. Tony Gonzalez, TE, KC - Just dominates his position.
27. Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Sea - Seahawks have a quietly potent offense.
28. Chad Johnson, WR, Cin - Now can Carson just get him the ball?
29. Joe Horn, WR, NO - Call him the new Jimmy Smith.
30. Willis McGahee, RB, Buf - All right, not really, but this guy could bust loose at some point this year.

DROPPED OUT
Joe Horn, WR, NO 269.2 Production hurt by knee injury
Brad Johnson, QB, TB 2715.1 Poor outing with just 149 yards and one TD, plus three turnovers
Brett Favre, QB, GB 2811.9 Has amassed just 201 yards and two TDs in last two contests
Kansas City Chiefs, D, KC 3011.6 Had zero turnovers in Cincy

JUST MISSED
Rudi Johnson, RB, Cin -13.3 Has run for 347 yards in last two starts, but Corey Dillon is nearing full health
Warrick Dunn, RB, Atl -10.6 Has run for 340 yards in last two games
Tiki Barber, RB, NYG -12.1 Rebounded with 131 total yards and one TD
Shannon Sharpe, WR, Den -8.7 Can't argue with 101 yards and three TDs
Peter Warrick, WR, Cin -10.1 Jumped to fantasy's No. 10 WR with two scores in Week 11
Reggie Wayne, WR, Ind -9.4 Had his second 100-yard receiving game on Sunday
Brian Westbrook, RB, Phi -9.9 Totaled 108 yards and three TDs on Sunday

Hector: Hey, it's the preseason, so these are going to look a lot like some of the other rankings ESPN is throwing at you. But we've got our own opinions on a few things. First off, Edgerrin James is a name that will haunt a lot of owners picking after the first or second pick. The guy is another year removed from knee surgery and looking to cash in big-time after the season (probably not in Indy). James aside, don't make the mistake of relying too heavily on history at running backs. I had to cede a spot to pacify Victor, but I'd take Rudi Johnson over Faulk without thinking twice. Running back is a brutal position in the NFL and shelf life of a fantasy star is minimal.

Victor: It's amazing how far the talent drops off in the late 20s. Nothing against guys like Joe Horn, Steve Smith or Tiki Barber, but give me a pick at the end of the first round and two more before the drop hits late in the third round. Hector's complaining about giving in to me about Faulk, but I had to surrender a couple of spots on Jamal Lewis. The trial won't even start until the second half of the season, and you know his lawyers will find a way to drag things out early. He's going to be focused on football and producing like a top-five pick.

FFL Schedule Outlook 2004:Focus on the future

Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Fantasy owners are always looking for two things: A clear advantage over the opposition, and a decisive answer when looking at two similar players during a draft.
Examining the potential strength of a team's schedule certainly plays heavily into both decisions. When deciding whether to draft Torry Holt or Marvin Harrison, you might look at the fact that the Rams open the year against the Bengals, Falcons, Saints and 49ers and decide Holt will be more likely to produce consistently good numbers than Harrison, who opposes the Patriots, Titans and Raiders early in the schedule.
But you can't heavily base your schedule analysis on last year's production. Once regular season play begins, a lot of trends from last year will disappear quickly, to be replaced by new ones. While projected strength of schedule should be a factor in some of your drafting decisions, it shouldn't be a major overriding factor.
Personnel changes in defensive units are sure to make many teams perform differently than they did in 2003. And the new rules against defensive contact after five yards are sure to open up offenses more across the board.

Engel's Angles: Two rounds of insight

Thursday, August 19, 2004

The most pressing question on everyone mind's this year, after 'Who do I take in the first round", is 'How does that affect my second-round strategy?". This season, it seems, more than past years, the first two rounds of your draft are more challenging than ever.
In recent years, the advice dished out was to simply get two standout running backs in the first two rounds if you can. Last year, you could make a case for the entire first round consisting of running backs only, and some projected standouts were still available in the second round. But this year, there are only eight clear "stud" backs, and one of them (Jamal Lewis) has questions surrounding his availability for a few weeks. Then there is a clear dropoff to the second "tier" of backs, and many of them are questionable second-rounders.
Last season at this time, I was recommending 12 running backs as my first-round picks, and I recommended 19 of the first 22 picks to be running backs. What a difference a year makes. Marshall Faulk, Travis Henry and Ricky Williams are gone from my possible first-rounders. Tiki Barber, Stephen Davis, Charlie Garner, Curtis Martin, William Green and Eddie George have all slipped greatly in value, and only Barber remains worthy of being considered in the second round, while all the aforementioned other backs were being viewed as quality second-round selections a year ago.

Starter

League ID#: 129182
Password: y2kbug

goto http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/ and sign up for free fantasy football

Below are all the league details - if any cribs (problems), bring them up. The present draft date is set for July 31st (sat) @ 2:00 pm. - this can be changed.


League Details

• League ID#: 129182
• League Name: Fantasia Podosfairo Synagonism
• Password: y2kbug
• Draft Type: Live Draft
• Draft Time: Saturday Sept. 4th @ 2:30 pm
• Max Teams: 20
• Scoring Type: Points Only
• Start Scoring on: Week 1
• Can't Cut List Provider: None
• Max Moves: No maximum
• Max Trades: No maximum
• Trade Reject Time: 3
• Trade End Date: December 3, 2004
• Trade Review: League Votes
• Waiver Time: 2 days
• Post Draft Players: Free Agents
• Roster Positions: QB, WR, WR, WR, RB, RB, TE, K, DEF, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN
  

Stat Categories:

• Passing Yards (50 yards per point)
• Passing Touchdowns (6)
• Interceptions (-2)
• Rushing Yards (20 yards per point)
• Rushing Touchdowns (6)
• Reception Yards (20 yards per point)
• Reception Touchdowns (6)
• Return Yards (20 yards per point)
• Return Touchdowns (6)
• 2-Point Conversions (2)
• Fumbles Lost (-2)
• Offensive Fumble Return TD (6)
• Field Goals 0-19 Yards (3)
• Field Goals 20-29 Yards (3)
• Field Goals 30-39 Yards (3)
• Field Goals 40-49 Yards (4)
• Field Goals 50+ Yards (5)
• Point After Attempt Made (1)
• Interception (2)
• Fumble Recovery (2)
• Touchdown (6)
• Safety (2)
• Block Kick (2)
• Return Yards (20 yards per point)
• Kickoff and Punt Return Touchdowns (6)
• Fractional Points: Yes
• Negative Points: Yes