Fantasy Mashup

Nagging injuries

One of the most important pieces of information in ffb is the injury report. Not only will you be embarrassed at the draft if you holler out an IR player with gusto but every week you gotta know not only who won't play but who won't play at full speed. A running back with an injured thumb can still run, but maybe he can't hold on to the ball when he gets clocked. A little analysis along with the official NFL list is good to have.

Coaches, some more than others, are notorious about injury vagueness. This season there is a new reporting policy (along with several other changes) that should make injury classifications more credible and telling. Teams have to report whether a player practiced, was limited in practice or practiced at 100 percent participation. Injury designations are Out (definitely will not play); Doubtful (at least 75 percent chance will not play);Questionable (50-50 chance will not play);and Probable (virtual certainty player will be available for normal duty). Of course, there's still a lot o'wiggle room in there, so ffb owners need to do their homework.

Here's a quick rundown of some free injury information sites. This is a look ONLY at the current injury list portion of a site, not a review of the entire operation. Also, this is hardly a comprehensive list. I mean, GOOD GAWD. Lots of sites out there, peeps. Speak up if you have a good one I've missed.

My fave freebie? Covers.com. My site-by-site comments are on the next page, listed alphabetically, except for links that aren't up to speed, which I've listed at the end.

P2: 1st Rankings update

No surprises this week -- and, thankfully, no big injuries, either. The Top 5 remained intact, but Baltimore has moved into striking distance (for now).

RISING: Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, New York Football Giants...

FALLING: Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints...

When you see a number in parentheses, that's where the team ranked last week. The record you see listed is what I predicted for them in my first 2007 Power Ranking.

Update: 2007 sleepers

I wrote my first post on this year's potential sleeper picks back on July 1, before the start of training camp. How are those picks holding up after the first week of preseason games?

Each pick is rated an "up," "down," "hold" or "out." I've also added a couple of new players to the list.

P1: Ups, downs, questions

Observations from the first round of preseason games, with plenty more to watch...

Saturday, Aug. 11, 21:26 Topic Index: RB Adrian Peterson; RB Brian Leonard; QB Tavaris Jackson; QB Marc Bulger; QB Vince Young; QB Jason Campbell; QB Kerry Collins; Coach Joe Gibbs. 22:10 update: Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, QB Brett Favre, QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Chris Henry...Sunday, Aug. 12, 00:34... QB Rex Grossman, TE Greg Olsen, QB Matt Schaub...
 

2007 Power Ranking No. 1

I began publishing weekly NFL power rankings and office pool picks on our home blog, Xark!, in 2006. Today marks the beginning of the 2007 power rankings season, and I'll be checking back to this post as a baseline for how things change as the action unfolds.

The headline? While the top two spots go to AFC teams, I think the NFC may be improving. And the surprise? The Chicago Bears are closer to the top than most experts think.

Plus, as a one-time special bonus, I'm including my initial prediction for each team's 2007 record.

4 backup QB surprises

It's always nice to have an ace up your sleeve. Here are four stealthy, backup QB aces for you to keep hidden -- right up until the moment when you spring a brilliant roster move on your unsuspecting league.

HOFG: Ben Roethlisberger

Observations from Sunday's Hall of Fame Game:

1. The idea that Ben Roethlisberger is nothing but a caretaker QB will be shaken this year. The Steelers' QB will be playing in a far more aggressive offense in 2007, and with his worst season behind him, Big Ben will contend for fantasy-starter status.

2. The Saints still don't have any cornerbacks of note, and that's particularly bad in August, when everybody's supposed to be healthy.

3. Saints first-round rookie WR Robert Meacham sure got a rude welcome to the NFL. After being lit up by a Steelers DB on one crossing route, Meacham snuck a look at approaching defenders on his next trip over the middle and went down fast. First preseason game and the Tennessee speedster got a case of the alligator arms. Ouch.

4. It's way too early to be drawing many conclusions.
 

Gut check: The Top 50

Ranks based on recent Average Draft Position results...

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego. His numbers could go down by a third and LT would still be the No. 1 player in fantasy. That's just sick.
2. Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis. He deserves this ranking, but he's nowhere close to Tomlinson and probably won't produce like last year's No. 2.
3. Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City. I expect a big decline here: Kansas City is rebuilding, the O-line is cheesecloth, the QB is likely to be Brodie Croyle, and LJ, coming off another punishing year, is holding out of training camp. He's already dropping in recent expert drafts and that trend could continue.
4. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco. The situation is great, the player had a breakout year in 2006 ... and something about this scares me. Gore is playing on rebuilt bionic knees and just broke his hand, which means he'll enter September a little rusty. Again, not specific -- just a bad feeling.
5. Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle. If I can get him at six, seven or eight, I'd feel pretty good about the value. Alexander is in decline, but he can still be good in spurts, and he's reported to camp in great shape.