FANTASY FOOTBALL QUESTION ???

QUESTION:

Ronnie, I am looking for a RB for this weekend, maybe next weekend if I survive, for the playoffs. My top 2 choices (that are available) are Dominic Davis (HOU) and Chris Brown (TEN). Ironically their teams are playing each other this weekend. (My other alternative is to stick with Stephan Jackson). Other RB’s that are available are Ronnie Brown, Curtis Martin, Samkon Gado, DeShaun Foster, Greg Jones, Ricky Williams. Any advice? Any others names in mind? Thanks, Greg

p.s.: Also, I’m sitting pretty good at WR, but are there any 1 week sleepers at WR? (Is there such a thing as a 1 week sleeper at WR, they are so inconsistent.)


RESPONSE:

At least for this week go with Dominic Davis and Chris Brown. Both defenses suck. Stephen Jackson has been inconsistant to say the least. No sleepers any more.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

FANTASY FOOTBALL QUESTION ?????

QUESTION:

Ronnie, What has happened to Stephan Jackson? This guy was looking like a true stud, and looked to produce even better FF numbers when Mark Bulger went down with an injury (for the second time this year). I have Stephan Jackson on my FF team. Is this stud is turning into a dud?? He was until very recently a must start RB. Can you shed some light Stephan Jackson’s situation in St. Louis for me. Should I be looking to replace him in my starting line up? Thanks, Greg


RESPONSE:

I am just as surprised as you are that his success hasn't culminated each week but very average to say the least. You can't say it was exemplary rush defenses either. Arizona and Tennessee were very surprising. Washington made it very clear that their defensive game plan as well as the Arizona Cardinals was to make St. Louis passing game beat them by stacking the box and to my amazement it has worked to a tee. It also appears he has lost his legs a little.

He has some very easy matchups coming in week #14 (Vikings), & week #16 (S.F.49er's).

If he fails in week #14 be leary of automatically starting Jackson.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

FANTASY FOOTBALL QUESTIONS ???

QUESTION:

Ronnie, Who do you think will have more FF success going down the stretch to the end of the season, Larry Johnson (KC) or Rudi Johnson (CIN)? Larry Johnson faces some good run defenses, and Rudi Johnson seems to have the easier schedule against the run. Are there some other hidden gems to look at going down the stretch that may be flying under the radar due to poor first half to the season. Thanks.


RESPONSE:

You are correct to say that Larry Johnson faces tougher run defenses in virtually all the matchups. Rudi Johnson faces some very poor run defenses. Now after saying that, i refer to the exemption in these cases, always play your studs no matter what the matchup.

Because of the injury to Holmes, Larry Johnson has filled in tremendously and now will be the Chiefs back of the future. Rudi Johnson was very slow out of the gate after week #1. Until the last 2 weeks which he has scored 2 td's in each game, his touchdown's were a total of 3 for the entire season.Either one will be a good play. If you can, play them both. By now, most of the sleepers are known. I would keep the backup to any injury riddled Qb. Watch backups to Fred (Fraud) Taylor, Cory Dillon. Also if your playoffs extend to week #17 then pickup the backups to Shaun Alexander, Any Indy Colt and so on......

Good Luck!!!!!

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #12 WHO TO START AND WHO TO SIT:

Start:

Qb - Matt Hasselbeck

Rb - Brian Westbrook

Wr - Joe Horn

Def - Tennessee Titans


Sit:

Qb - Chris Sims

Rb - Jamal Lewis

Wr - Plaxico Burress

Def - Pittsburgh Steelers


Some different players this week - let's see how my predictions come out.
If anything like last week we are in business - Good luck!!!!!!!


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #11 FANTASY STUDS AND DUDS

STUDS:

QB - DREW BREES 339 yards pass, 4 td's

RB - LARRY JOHNSON 211 yards rush, 2 td's

WR - CHAD JOHNSON 189 yards receiving, 1 td

T.E. - DALLAS CLARK 125 yards receiving, 1 td

K - MATT BRYANT 3 fg's, 3 xtra pts, no misses

DEF. - DENVER BRONCOS only 195 yards allowed, 4 sacks, 2 int's,
3 fumble recoveries, shutout



DUDS:

QB - DREW BLEDSOE 110 yards pass, 0 td's

RB - STEVEN JACKSON 6 yards rush, 16 receiving, 0 td's, 1 fumble lost

WR - JOEY GALLOWAY 0 receptions

T.E. - RANDY MCMICHAEL 0 receptions

K - OLINDO MARE 0 attempts

DEF. - CICINNATI BENGALS 451 total yards allowed, 45 points allowed,
1 sack, 1 int, 0 td's, 0 fumble recoveries



Sincerely, Ronnie A. Keesee

Week #11 Who to Start & Who to Sit:

Start:

Qb - Tom Brady

Rb - Larry Johnson

Wr - Donald Driver

K - Jeff Wilkins

Def - Denver Broncos


Sit:

Qb - Brooks Bollinger

Rb - Steven Davis

Wr - Marcus Robinson

K - Robbie Gould

Def - Phily Eagles


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Question ?????

Question:

Ronnie, with my QB McNabb going down, maybe for the rest of the season, what should my next step be? I have Carson Palmer to play weekly (which is a very good thing), but I could pick up Jake Plummer (or Chris Simms) to play if they have a great matchup. I am inclined to pick up Plummer now, because I feel if I wait, he won’t be available due to someone else in my league picking him up if their QB gets injured. Or should I just hold onto McNabb for now, play Carson Palmer and wait to see what happens? Thanks.

Response:

Dave Spadaro, of PhiladelphiaEagles.com, reports Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (hernia/groin) will meet with a specialist Thursday, Nov. 17, to go over the results of an MRI that was done Tuesday, Nov. 15. McNabb's status for the rest of the season will likely be determined during or soon after the visit.

If you can pickup Jake Plummer without dropping Mcnabb (alternative drop would be advised) that would be the best thing to do. Saying that, Mcnabb's numbers will be down regardless with both the apparent injury looming over Mcnabb and with the loss of psycho challenged T.O., it will be a different Mcnabb to say the least.

Regardless, if Mcnabb comes back healthy play Carson Palmer anyway. He is an elite qb in the nfl and a fantasy stud each week.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Playoff Schedule - Who has the easy matchup ??

Question:

Ronnie, in my league the playoffs are NFL weeks 15 and 16. Taking a look ahead arethere any offenses that have favorable defensive matchups both weeks? Are there any players on those teams that look to be studs both weeks?

Response:


First, let's take a look at week #15's & #16's schedule.

WEEK 15

Saturday, Dec. 17

Tampa Bay at New England 1:30 p.m.
Kansas City at N.Y. Giants 5:00 p.m.
Denver at Buffalo 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 18

Arizona at Houston 1:00 p.m.
Carolina at New Orleans 1:00 p.m.
Dallas at Washington 1:00 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Minnesota 1:00 p.m.
San Diego at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m.
Seattle at Tennessee 1:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Jacksonville 1:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Detroit 4:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Oakland 4:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at St. Louis 4:15 p.m.
Atlanta at Chicago 8:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 19

Green Bay at Baltimore 9:00 p.m.

WEEK 16

Saturday, Dec. 24

Atlanta at Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m.
Buffalo at Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.
Dallas at Carolina 1:00 p.m.
Detroit at New Orleans 1:00 p.m.
Jacksonville at Houston 1:00 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Washington 1:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland 1:00 p.m.
San Diego at Kansas City 1:00 p.m.
San Francisco at St. Louis 1:00 p.m.
Tennessee at Miami 1:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Arizona 4:05 p.m.
Indianapolis at Seattle 4:15 p.m.
Oakland at Denver 4:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 25

Chicago at Green Bay 5:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Baltimore 8:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 26
New England at N.Y. Jets 9:00 p.m.

Most Fantasy Football playoffs start in week #15 and #16. The point here is to not play any playoff games in week #17 as to eliminate the possibility of any player sitting.

Here are some teams with good matchups both weeks:

Carolina Panthers - Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith

Jacksonville Jags - Byron Leftwich, Jimmy Smith and fraud Taylor (if healthy).

Pittsburgh Steelers - Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Steelers Defense

St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Tory Holt

Cincinnati Bengals - Carson Palmer, Rudi and Chad Johnson

Denver Broncos - Jake Plummer, Bell or Anderson

Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown (if Ricky Williams isn't sharing too many carries)


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Shaun Alexander or Ladainian Tomlinson

The discussion will be, who is the better fantasy football player?

Let's discuss the makeup of the players and their teammates.

Better quarterback - Seattle (Matt Hasselbeck)
Better O'line - Seattle
Better fullback - San Diego (L. Neal)


It is my opinion that Ladainian Tomlinson is the better overall fantasy football player. He's better out of the backfield receiving. He's definitely a more elusive back. Alexander is all but non-existant out of the backfield in terms of receiving. Their total offensive numbers will mirror each other closely.

Saying that, i believe that Alexander will have slightly better numbers just because of the better o'line and the cupcake city schedule an elite runningback like Alexander drools over.

Knowing all this i still selected L.T. first and would still select him first next year.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #10 Who to Start & Who to Bench

Start:

Qb - Matt Hasselbeck

Rb - Edgerrin James

Wr - Steve Smith

Def - Chicago Bears



Bench:

Qb - David Carr

Rb - Jamal Lewis

Wr - Antonio Bryant

Def - Houston Texans



Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #9 Studs & Duds

Studs:

Qb - Peyton Manning 321 Yards pass, 3 td's, 24 yards rush

Rb - Ladainian Tomlinson 107 yards rush, 46 receiving, 4 td's total

Wr - Marvin Harrison 128 yards rec., 2 td's

T.e. - Antonio Gates 132 yards rec.

K - Neil Rackers 4 fg's, 1 xtra pt, no misses

Def - Carolins Panthers only 14 pts allowed, 5 sacks, 2 int's,
2 fumble recoveries, 1 special teams td


Duds:

Qb - Brett Favre = 214 yards pass, 1 int, 1 fumble lost, no td's

Rb - Willie Parker = 13 yards rush, 10 rec., 0 td's

Wr - Hines Ward = 1 catch 12 yards, 0 td's

T.e. - Todd Heap = 28 yards rec., 0 td's, 1 fumble lost

K - Jason Hanson = 0 fg's, 2 xtra pts, 1 miss fg

Def - Tampa Bay bucs = allowed 34 points, 1 sack, 0 td's , 0 fumble
recoveries, 0 int's

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #9 Who to Start & Who to Sit

Start:

Qb - Eli Manning

Rb - Thomas Jones

Wr - Jimmy Smith

K - Josh Brown

DEF - Jacksonville Jags



Sit:

Qb - Brett Favre

Rb - Rudi Johnson

Wr - T.O.

K - Ryan Longwell

DEf - New England Patriots


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Question ????

Question:


Ronnie, I was wondering which defense to play this weekend, Jacksonville or the NY Giants. Jacksonville has a great matchup against the Texans, but the NY Giants are matched up against the 49ers who are playing a warm body at QB. I’m still inclined to play Jacksonville against a horrible Texans team, but can’t ignore the defensive smackdown the Giants put on the Redskins (the Giants gave up about 1800 yards passing so far this year and Brunnell has been on fire, so who could have saw that coming?). Any thoughts? Thanks.

Response:

Apples and oranges between the 2 of those. If Washington with Brunell, Portis, and Santana Moss cannot score a single point, what will that mighty offense of the San Francisco 49er's do against the Giants. Jacksonville jags defense is also a good start but i'd put the edge to the Giants.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #9 bye week

Don't play these guys,
not this week that is!!!!!!!!!!

Buffalo Bills - Mcgahee

Dallas Cowboys - Bledsoe, Glenn, Witten

Denver Broncos - Plummer, M.Anderson, Tatum Bell, Rod Smith, Elam

ST.Louis Rams - Steven Jackson (everyone else is hurt anyway)


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Question ?????

Question:

Ronnie, I was wondering about what the second half of the season may hold for a few players; Rudi Johnson (CIN), Terry Glenn (DAL), Mushin Muhommed (CHI) and Antonio Gates. Any thoughts?? Thanks

Response:

First, let me answer the easy one. Antonio Gates has now taken over as the elite tight end in the league - sorry Tony!!!. He's a must start regardless of matchups.

Mushin Muhammad was a fantasy stud last year but this year, he has kyle orton at qb...ouch!! he scored in week #8 against a depleted Lions secondary. His schedule has the packers twice and the saints but unless your slim at wide receiver keep the ex-spartan on the bench. He's only gotten into the endzone twice and only averages 55 yards receiving a game.

Rudi Johnson has been somewhat of a disappointment all year long. His schedule gets tough over the next 5 weeks including his bye week in week #10 but lightens up with the browns, lions and bills. Except for week #1, he has yet to eclipse the century mark. He has only 2 total touchdowns. One of the problems i have noticed is that he has yet to show Carson that he can be a reliable receiver out of the back field. He's a nice #2 back but no more than that right now. Play him on favorable matchups but hold off and play that stud S.Jackson (love the advice last week - hope you took it).

Terry Glenn has had one good week in the last 5 games. Has he hit the wall, maybe?? His age is a concern but not a detriment, yet. His schedule doesn't get any easier. he's still bledsoe's main target. His bye week is this week, this should help him get his leg strength back if only for a week. Injury to Patrick Crayton will only help Genn. Watch for the amount of catches. If they go down,beware. If they remain steady then so shall his starts. Also take into the account the hobbled Julius Jones. Marion Barber has filled in nice for Jones, but the threat of a legitimate running game would also go far to help the passing game - 10 yards at a time.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #8 STUDS & DUDS

STUDS:

QB - JAKE PLUMMER = 309 yards, 4 td's, 22 yards rush, 0 int's

RB - Tiki Barber = 206 yards rush, 1 td

WR - Steve Smith = 201 yards rec., 1 td

T.E. - Antonio Gates = 145 yards, 3 td's

K - Jay Feely = 5 fg's, 3 extra points

DEF. - N.Y. Giants = shut out, 5 sacks, 1 int, 3 fumble recoveries



DUDS:

QB - Mark Brunell = 65 yards pass, 1 int, 0 td's

RB - Clinton Portis = 9 rush yards, 13 rec., 0 int's

WR - Randy Moss = 26 yards rec., 0 td's

T.E. - Daniel Graham = 15 yards rec., 0 td's

K - Paul Edinger = 0 fg's, 1 fg missed, 1 extra point

DEF. - Tampa Bay Bucs = 0 td's, 0 sacks, 0 ints, 0 fumble recoveries



Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #8 Who To Start & Who To Bench

Start:

Qb - Drew Brees

Rb - Domanick Davis

Wr - Santana Moss

K - John Carney

Def. - Pittsburgh Steelers


Bench:

Qb - Jake Plummer

Rb - Kevan Barlow

Wr - Eric Moulds

K - Olindo Mare

Def - Minnesota Vikings


Sincerely, Ronnie keesee

Week #8 Fantasy Football Questions?????

Question:

Ronnie, I was wondering which RB to start this coming weekend, R. Johnson who has an easier match-up vs Green Bay or Stephan Jackson, who faces a much tougher D vs the Jags? I am inclined to start R. Johnson at this point because of the easier match-up but S. Jackson has been producing some good FF numbers as of late. Thanks.

Response:

Normally, i would also agree but with the ever present demand on Jackson (with Bulger being injured) his productivity has gone up and the bulk of the offense now goes through him. To my surprise the packers actually give up less yards per game for rush (100yds) to 120yds for the jags.

Select Steven Jackson.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #7 Studs & Duds

Studs:

Qb - Daunte Culpepper = 280 yards pass, 2 td's pass, 0 int's, 41 yards rush

Rb - Lamont Jordon = 122 yards rush, 3 td's, 40 yards receiving

Wr - Santana Moss = 112 yards receiving, 1 td

T.e. - Antonio Gates = 72 yards receiving, 1 td

K - Lawrence Tynes = 3 fg's made(51 &52), 3 extra points

Def - Detroit Lions = only 10 points allowed, 3 int's, 4 sacks


Duds:

Qb - Trent Dilfer = 73 yards pass, 0 td's, 3 int's

Rb - Ladainian Tomlinson = 7 yards rush, 0 td's, 26 yards receiving

Wr - Anquan Boldin = 0 yards receiving, 15 yards rush, 0 td's

T.e. - Marcus Pollard = 5 yards receiving, 0 td's

K - Jose Cortez = 1 fg made, 29 yard fg missed, 1 extra pt.

Def - San Francisco 49er's = 457 yards allowed, 52 points allowed,
1 sack, 0 int's, 0 fumble recoveries, 0 td's


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #7 Who to Start & Who to Bench

Start:

Qb - Mark Brunell

Rb - Edgerrin James

Wr - Larry Fitzgerald

K - Neil Rackers

Def - Washington Redskins


Bench:

Qb - Ben Roethlisberger

Rb - Willie Parker

Wr - Laveranues Coles

K - Jason Hanson

Def - Dallas Cowboys


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #7 Fantasy Football Questions?????

Question:

Ronnie, I am thinking about dropping Antonio Bryant and picking up Jeremy Shockey. Eli Manning seems to be getting more comfortable with Shockey and the Giants throw the ball a lot more than the Browns. Can you shed any light on this for me.

Response:

To look at the total picture, we need to go directly to the source of who is at the qb. Trent Dilfer started the season pretty strong, especially against the packers (but then again everyone has a great day against the packers) but reality has set forth and now the old Dilfer has shown up again. He's thrown 2 td's in the last 3 weeks, 3 int's, 2 fumbles lost and hasn't thrown for more than 218 yards in any of those 3 weeks.

On the otherhand, Eli Manning has raised eye brows and has shown the nfl world that he will be a legitimate qb for years to come. Eli's last 3 weeks = 288 yards pass average, 7 td's, 1 int, 1 fumble lost. Bryant has a total of 2 td's with 83 yards max. for 1 week. Shockey has a total of 3 td's with 129 yards in week#6 and 101 yards in week #3.

Drop Bryant and pickup Shockey.

Question:

Ronnie, I have 2 solid RB’s, Rudi Johnson (CIN) and Stephan Jackson (STL). Who should I start the rest of the season? (Jackson has a bye Week 9, Johnson has a bye Week 10). I am leaning toward starting Stephan Jackson, he seems to be picking up some momentum. Thanks.

Response:

Let's start off by saying who should you start week #7. Steven Jackson plays at home vs the N.O. Saints. Rudi Johnson plays at home vs the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both of them have similar stats (Rudi - 567 all purpose) & (Jackson - 561 all purpose). But the 1 stat that sticks out is the td's (Jackson - 5) & (Rudi - 2). This weeks matchup heavily favors Jackson. The Saints defense is weak plus the fact that St. Louis Rams will have a void in their passing attack with Bulger listed as questionable is another aspect to consider. Jackson will get the bulk of the carries even more, especially with coach Martz out of the picture (no one coach calls for more passing than Martz).

Select Jackson in week #7.

Question:

Hey Ronnie,Ive got another question for you. I'm getting a little frustrated with Collins, it seems he is only performing when Moss is playing. I have Hassellbeck and Roethlisberger. What would you consider my best option for week 7 and the rest of the season?

Thanks,Tyler

Response:

In terms of statistics they are both pretty close but Hasselbeck averages over 20 yards a game more. Hasselbeck runs more but throws a few more int's. Both have 8 Total td's. The concern here though is more about the health of the two players and with that the edge definitely goes to hasselbeck. Roethlisberger sat out week #6 with a hyperextended knee. He's already slated as the starter in week #7, but i am always skeptical about a player with an injury (especially a knee) until they show me at least one week that the injury will not hender their performance. Select Hasselbeck, he's playing awesome and his schedule will be very beneficial to his overall performance.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #6 Studs & Duds

Studs:

Qb - Mark Brunell = 331 yards pass, 3 td's, 0 int's

Rb - Shaun Alexander = 141 yards rush, 4 td's

Wr - Santana Moss = 173 yards receiving, 2 td's

T.e. - Jeremy Shockey = 129 yards receiving, 1 td

K - O.mare = 2 fg's made (47 and 53yds) , 1 extra pt, no misses

Def - Detroit Lions = 2 defensive td's, 2 sacks, 1 block fg., 3 int's, 1 fumble recovery


Duds:

Qb - Trent Dilfer = 147 yards pass, 1 int, 2 fumbles lost

Rb - Steven Davis = 13 carries for 27 yards

Wr - Plaxico Burress = 55 yards, 1 fumble lost

T.e. - Antonio Gates = 2 catches 17 yards

K - Paul Edinger = 2 fg's missed, 1 fg made

Def - Denver Broncos = 20 points allowed, 0 ints, 0 fumble recoveries, 0 sacks, 0 td's


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Season

10 Fantasy Football players who have not
disappointed this year.

Still plugging along doing the best at what they do:

1 Ladainian Tomlinson

What an absolute stud. He continues to amaze us all and disappoints when he has a week that other backs would dream of having. He's the type of franchise back that you plug him in each and every week without the slightest thought of benching because of some tough defensive matchup. With out a doubt the best fantasy football player.

2 Shaun Alexander

Enough said see #1.

3 Donovan Mcnabb

What can be said about a leader who does it all. He continues to be one of the best fantasy qb's each and every year. He overcomes controversy (Rush Limbough) and finds a way to divert distractions or head cases (T.O.) and do what he does best - win.

4 Marc Bulger

What??? Look at his stats, they don't lie. Fortunately for him in fantasy football victories are neither a requirement or a necessity. He has one of the leagues best Duos (qb & wr) with Holt. He's never mentioned with the greats but still puts up comparable numbers. Considering that Isaac Bruce has missed half of the season it's even more impressive what Bulger has done with less then all his weapons at his disposal. Also consider what round he was drafted (probably 3-5) and I can see smiles on many faces knowing that he was a steal compared to the likes of qb's like Vick, who was selected by some goofs in the first round of this years fantasy drafts.

#5 Carson Palmer

Sitting Palmer down in 2003 was the best decision Cincinnati could make. Kitna showed a touch of class by showing Carson the ropes, especially after having a great season himself for the bengals. Palmer has transitioned the bengals back into a formidable force in the A.F.C. Palmer has averaged over 260 yards pass and 2 touchdowns a game. With Houshmandzadeh injured and Rudi Johnson having an average at best year the success for Palmer in my opinion will stay the course and become one of the best fantasy football qb's in the N.F.L. for years to come.

#6 Terrell Owens

We question his antics and his bizarre behavior. No matter how you feel about this eccentric player, his performance is what can't be questioned. He continues to be the best wide receiver every year. He simply unstoppable.

#7 Edgerrin James

He continues to put over a 100 yards rush average each week. After the dreaded A.C.L. it was feared that like others (Terrell Davis) that James would fall off the map but the opposite has occurred and he has come full circle and become one of the more reliable rb's in the league.

#8 - Tom Brady

All he's done in a year of catastrophic injuries to the patriots team is average over 300 yards per game. People have ruled out the patriots each time adversity has hit them and to their amazement brady defies the odds and finds a way to win. If Buddy Ryan had made a statement Brady instead of Cris Carter it would read something like this " all he does is win".

#9 Torry Holt

Perhaps one of the quietest widereceivers in the league. he actually let's his performances do his talking each week. He steadily goes about his business and puts up pro-bowl numbers. He has averaged over 100 yards a game and has scored a touchdown in each of the last 4 games.

#10 Kerry Collins

Now with a mass of weapons at his disposal, Collins has made the best of the situation. Until last week he was unable to produce a win but in fantasy football...who cares. His schedule is cup cake city baby and he should be able to carve out defenses all year long.

10 Fantasy Football players who have
disappointed to say the least:

#1 Peyton Manning

Considering the bar this franchise player has raised over the last few years many owners selected him #1 overall and his numbers just don't add up to that selection. He's averaging just over 110 yards passing and under1 td a game. That's mindboggling considering his unbelievable performance of last year. At years end, I believe he will put up very good and respectable numbers for the average qb but then again he's no average qb at all.

#2 Daunte Culpepper

If peyton hadn't had his stellar year last year, Culpepper would have been the leagues M.V.P. hands down. Many thought that with the aggravation of Randy Moss gone to Oakland that in some strange way Culpepper would benefit - they were dead wrong!!
With 4 td's, 10 int's and 3 fumbles lost in this case the statistics definitely don't lie.

#3 Michael Vick

4 td's, 2 int's and 2 fumbles lost to go with an injury plagued year doesn't sit well for owners of this excitable yet unproductive star. I have never liked Vick as a quality fantasy football qb. He continues to be selected high in drafts but year in and year out he continues to also disappoint.

#4 Jamal Lewis

Although he appears to have come out of a deep routed funk as of late, his performance to date has been dreadful. Averaging only 58 yards a game, 1 td rushing and 2 fumbles lost isn't the stats anticipated by this first or second round back.

#5 Ahman Green

The loss of Wahle and Rivera was more then expected. Green has averaged only 50 yards per game with no td's. his latest injury is just another reason to stay far away from this walking or should i say hobbling nightmare.

#6 Kevin Jones

I expect this lion to roar like he did last week against the ravens more often but until last week, he was a shell of the back we saw in him last year. The o'line for Detroit hasn't helped but neither has Jones. He's averaging just above 50 yards a game.

#7 Marvin Harrison

This wideout's performance is directly linked to peyton. when peyton's feeling the heat so does harrison. he's only averaging 57 yards a game. Maybe age has caught up with him.

#8 Tony Gonzalez

He has been non existent. a complete non factor in the chiefs pass attack. he's averaging just 32 yards a game without a trip to the endzone. he has been deligated to block for Trent Green ever since willie Roaf was injured.

#9 Andre Johnson

Boy!! what a disappointment . Some say this wideout would be the next Chris Carter, more like Kijani Carter in terms of success. He's been injured and just has not performed at a level expected of him. He's averaged only 25 yards a game with no td's.

#10 Baltimore Ravens defense

Come on now, how many of you wasted a high draft pick on this underachieving squad? In my Fantasy league they are rated #29. They have allowed an average of 22 points a game. With only 2 int's and 1 fumble recovery it appears this stellar defense needs to drastically step it up to allow comparions of the pre season to warrant such a high pick by so many in the draft. With the personnel of that defense they should dominate games and up to this point there is no evidence made to show that that will happen any time soon.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Questions???????????

Question:

Ronnie,

Who do you think I should start at QB in week 6, Eli Manning @ Dallas or Mark Bulger @ Indy? I usually start Bulger, however I've started to look at Manning more and more. Between injury and people on their bye, my team is hurting this week, so which QB would you say is more of a "swing for the fences" type pick?

Thanks,
Phillip (CK Kid)

Response:

Normally this is a no-brainer but with the incresingly huge rise to fantasy stardum, Eli appears to be another clone to the success of Archie.... genetics i say..genetics!!! confused don't be just go to the nearest dictionary and look under Peyton. Marc Bulger at this time is a Fantasy stud and must be started each and every week, baring a bye or an injury. The Rams also by playing at Indy are commonly known to be a better team on turf (hence, the best show on turf). In generalities i always play my best player(s) regardless of matchups. this way if i lose, i lose by playing my best and not by losing because i left a stud on the bench.

Question:

Ronnie, I have Rudi Johnson and Stephan Jackson. Who should I start Week 6? I am leaning toward S. Jackson even though he is playing against Indy. R. Johnson has not produced a lot yet this year. Thanks.

Response:

2 schools of thought to ponder:

#1 the matchups favors Rudi Johnson. Tennesee Titans defense allows over 116 yards a game per rush. I look for this game to pour the points especially with a sub par Titans defense.

#2 Mike Martz is out on indefinite leave with a heart ailment and will be replaced with interim head coach Joe Vitt. Why is this important for Steven Jackson? Because no one on this green earth throws more then Martz and according to league sources Vitt loves to first run then pass not what i would call a philosophy of Martz. also the rams play very well on the turf (indy) and love the night lights of Monday Night Football. A concern is that Rudi has scored only once. Jackson has 4 scores to his credit and receives a lot more out of the backfield then rudi does. If Kevan "the bar is" low (kevan barlow - s.f.) can rush for 99 yards against the colts, i think Jackson could have a very productive day.

Select Jackson until Rudi starts putting up the numbers we
have expected of him.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Who to Sit & Who to Bench for Week #6

Start:

Qb - Kerry Collins

Rb - Edge James

Wr - Derrick Mason

K - Mike Vanderjagt

Def - Chicago Bears


Bench :

Qb - Trent Green

Rb - Cory Dillon

Wr - Joe Jurevicius

K - Paul Edinger

Def - ST. Louis Rams


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #5 Fantasy Studs & Duds

Studs:

Qb - Tom Brady = 350 yards pass, 3td's, 1 int

Rb - Tatum Bell = 127 yards rush, 2 td's

Wr - Steve Smith = 119 yards receiving, 2td's

K - Josh Scobee = 3fg's (51 & 53 yards), 2 xtra points

Def - Green Bay Packers = allowed only 3 points, 3 int's, 2 fumble rec., 2 td's


Duds:

Qb - Donovan Mcnabb = 131 yards pass, o td's

Rb - Brian Westbrook = 12 yards rush, 24 rec, o td's

Wr - Jimmy Smith = 43 yards rec., o td's

K - John Carney = 1 fg made, 2 fg missed, o xtra points

Def - New Orleans Saints = 52 points scored


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Questions ??????

Question:

Ronnie,

I was wondering if you could provide any insight as to the FF value of Ricky Williams as he is going to start playing this week for Miami. I have considered trying to pick him up and dropping Rudi Johnson (CIN) who has not produced a whole lot so far. I can definitely see them giving Ricky the ball instead of Ronnie Brown near the goal line.

Response:

Ronnie Brown has had a very tough schedule to say the least (Broncos, N.Y.Jets, Panthers and Bills) especially considering he is a true rookie. In those games his carries (22-12-23-17) and the amount of offense generated his way is an indication of his importance to the overall offense. His success at first was less then moderate but what do we expect from rookies especially a dolphins rookie runningback. His success recently; however, has been better than average. 132 yards rush, 1td vs Panthers and 97 yards rush vs buffalo is better then a serviceable back.

Ricky Williams will not start yet, operative word...yet. Whether or not Ronnie Brown goes down due to an injury or play suffers in performance, Ricky will see limited action either way. If ricky shines in his stint of running, I could see a very crowded back field in miami. ither way do not drop Rudi Johnson. Rudi has sustained a minor knee injury but the extent of the injury is not feared to be too serious. He is a very good runningback and should be started every week short of an apparent injury.

Question:

Ronnie,

I picked up Brandon Lloyd (SF) a few weeks ago, and due to the change in quarterback this past week (from Tim Rattay to Alex Smith) his value has dropped significantly. I was looking to pick up Antonio Bryant to replace Brandon Lloyd. He seems to have very favorable matchups and with Braylon Edwards sidelined (at least temporarily) should have the ball thrown his way a lot. In my league we pick up available free agents and do not trade between teams. He would be my 4th receiver, I already have a solid receiving unit with Plaxico Burress, Terry Glenn, and Steve Smith, and would use Bryant during bye weeks and in case of injury.

Response:

His value is down and with the core of receivers you have, i wouldn't worry about that position at all. Burress has already had his bye week and Smith (week #7) and Glenn's(week #9) bye weeks do not fall on the same week.

How many receivers can you start anyway?

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Question ???????????

Question:

Ronnie,

Whats the deal with Carnell Williams this week? Will he play and more importantly will he play well against the Jets? If not I feel I have some strong options still available at RB, S. Jackson @ Sea or R. Johnson @ Jac (I dont really like that matchup). Who do you feel would be my best choice this week.

Thanks,Tyler (DeadHeadLion)

Response:

Cadillac Williams wore a protective boot on his left foot for the fifth straight day Friday and remains questionable for Sunday. Impact: Coach Jon Gruden indicated Williams will be a game-time decision. "He's getting better," Gruden said. "He did some things with the trainer much better than he did the previous two days. He's still questionable.Michael Pittman would get the call if Cadillac can't get out of park. I would not play him this week.

The jaguars defense against the rush allows over 130 yds per game, so the matchup for Rudi Johnson is a very good option. S.Jackson also has a favorable matchup against the seahawks, who allow 117 yds rush per game. Jackson found the endzone twice in week #4 one by a rush and another by a reception - this involvement sits well with fantasy owners. Either option is a good one. I would only lean towards Jackson this week because of the weaker seahawks defense and opportunity as a whole for the ability of the team to score a lot of points. The maximum amount of points Jacksonville has allowed by an opponent this year is 20 points.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Question?????

Fantasy Football Question:

Ronnie,

My fantasy defense (Carolina) has been underachieving so far this season. The top Defenses (going by their fantasy points to date) that are available in my league include:

Denver (42pts)
San Fran. (42 pts)
NY Giants (40 pts)
Jacksonville (37 pts)

I would like to use just one roster spot on defense for as much of the season as possible, so how soon their bye week is would play a role in my choice.

Right now I'm thinking about sticking with Carolina for one more week (Arizona) and then picking up the Giants who will be past their bye after this week.

Any advice would be appreciated, Thanks

Phillip (California Kid)


Response:

The Panthers like most teams have suffered their fair share of injuries. With the loss of defensive Pro-bowler Jenkins, it has been very appearant that that loss alone has caused a gapping hole in the middle. Jacksonville Jaguars may have the best matchups with regards to the remaining schedule.

Denver Broncos and N.Y. Giants schedule only gets tougher. I am leary of any team that gives up as many points as the s.f. 49er's; eventhough, they seem to score pretty well on special teams and by creating turnovers.
The Denver Broncos defense have been hot especially at home. The Jaguars are third overall in total defense and with the remaining cupcake schedule they should be one of the better scoring fantasy football defenses.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Who to start & Who to bench week #5

Start:

Qb - Brett Favre

Rb - Edgerrin James

Wr - Steve Smith

K - Neil Rackers

Def - Baltimore Ravens


Bench:

Qb - Trent Dilfer

Rb - Kevin Jones

Wr - Brandon LLoyd

K - Rian Lindell

Def - S.f. 49 er's


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #4 STUDS AND DUDS

Week #4

Studs:

Brett Favre = 303 yards pass, 4 pass td's, 2 pass 2 point conversions

Ladainian Tomlinson = 134 yards rush, 34 yards receiving, 2 td's

Plaxico Burress = 204 yards receiving, 2 td's

Antonio Gates = 108 yards receiving

Neil Rackers = 6 field goals, 1 extra point, no misses



Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee
Arizona Cardinals = allowed no offensive points, 5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 int



Duds

Tim Rattay = 11 of 21 for 126 yards, 1 int, 1 fumble lost, 0 td's

Carnell Williams = 13 yards, 0 td's, injured

Steve Smith = 12 yards , 0 td's (double and triple team will do that).

Tony Gonzalez = 5 yards, 0 td's

Rian Lindell = 0 fg's, 1 miss fg from 45 yards, 1 extra point

St. Louis Rams = gave up 44 points, 1 sack, 0 int's, 0 fumble rec., no td's.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #4 FANTASY FOOTBALL QUESTIONS

Question:

Ronnie, who should I start, Priest Holmes (KC) or Stephan Jackson (STL)? Both are playing very good run defenses in Philly and the NY Giants respectively. Also which defense to play, Pats or NY Giants. I am leaning toward Priest and the Pats D.

Response:

Priest Holmes even at this point in his career(with injury history and with Larry Johnson splitting carries) is still a good start each week.
Steven Jackson is listed as questionable this week. He's normally a good start but wait until he shows that the rib injury isn't a hinderance. He'll probably play but start Priest Holmes.

Neither defense has a good matchup. both offenses they play have great potential to
score. With the injuries mounting up for the New England Patriots, i would play the
N.Y.Giants, who at this time is one of the better fantasy football defenses scoring wise.


Question:

Ronnie, Who should I start at WR?Clayton, TB - vs DET, Fitzgerald, AZ - vs SF, Porter,
OAK - vs DAL Glenn, DAL - vs OAK Also, when is KC's bye? Thanks,Bryan

Response:

Kansas City's bye week is week #5.

All your matchups are good. Glenn is very hot and appears to be Bledsoe's favorite target. Fitzgerald has had a nice start to the year but now has Josh McCown throwing to him after the
injury to Kurt Warner.
Clayton's stats are not what i anticipated - appears Griese's main target is Joey Galloway.
Jerry Porter has not lived up to expectations, especially with most of the attention being brought to Randy Moss.

I would select Terry Glenn. He's rated in the top ten of all receivers. He might not be there at the end of the year but ride him until he proves you otherwise.



Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #4 WHO TO START & WHO TO BENCH

Start:

Qb - Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals

Rb - Willis McGahee Buffalo Bills

Wr - Steve Smith Carolina Panthers

T.e. - Alge Crumpler Atlanta Falcons

K - John Kasay Carolina Panthers

Def - Cincinnati Bengals


Bench:

Qb - David Carr Houston Texans

Rb - Curtis Martin N.Y. Jets

Wr - Charles Rogers Detroit Lions

T.e. - Jeb Putzier Denver

K - Ryan Longwell Green Bay

Def - Green Bay Packers


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Fantasy Football Questions

Question:
From Greg

Ronnie, I just realized that I have a scheduling conflict Week 7. I have S. Smith (CAR) and M. Clayton (TB) both have Week 7 as bye weeks. M. Clayton looks to be the #2 WR in TB. I am not dropping S. Smith. I was going to get Keyshawn Johnson or Terry Glenn to replace M. Clayton. Keyshawn has 3 TD’s, but Glenn has lots of yards and receptions. I guess the main question is can T. Glenn find the end zone and can he keep generating these kinds of numbers? Or is Keyshawn the key to success. My gut feeling is that Keyshawn may be the better pick over the long haul. Can you shed any light on this for me? Thanks, Greg

P.S.: The reason I am looking to make the change now instead of waiting is that Dallas is going to Oakland this week and Oakland has a weak pass defense. TB is hosting Detroit who has a fairly decent pass defense. Also, I think if I wait any longer, both K. Johnson and T. Glenn will be gone.

Response:

Glenn will be the deep threat but keyshawn will be the more consistant player week in and week out. Is there any other position you can drop instead of M.Clayton?
it appears for some reason that Galloway is Griese's favorite target and this has hurt Clayton's statistics.
Bledsoe has appeared to make glenn his favorite target. i would select glenn and hope that the
deep threat continues.


Question:
Greg asks

Ronnie, I was looking to pick up Thomas Jones (CHI) and dropping Stephan Jackson (STL). Jones has put up solid numbers and looks to have the starting job all to himself and Jackson has not lived up to the hype yet, maybe he will next year. (In my league we pick players off of waivers and do not trade between teams, so trading a player is not an option.) By the way, your who to start, who to bench list for Week 3 looked solid once again. Thanks, Greg

Response:

Thomas jones appears to be running the ball extremely well, but he has a history of flamming out just as fast as he gets hot - just be leary.
As for Steven Jackson he's done ok but as you say, has not lived up to expectations.
Perhaps the expectations are a little too Marshallfaulkisk.
It's still early in the season so relax - that offense spreads the ball for all and will be plenty of
scores to go around.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

2005 FANTASY FOOTBALL STUDS YEAR TO DATE

Qb - Donovan Mcnabb (Phily) & Carson Palmer(Cinci)

Rb - Willie Parker(Pitts.) & Carnell Williams(T.B.)

Wr - T.O.(Phily) & Randy Moss(Oak.)

T.E. - Steve Heiden (Cleveland)

K - John Kasay Carolina

Def - Indianapolis Colts



Sincerely, Ronnie keesee

2005 FANTASY FOOTBALL DUDS YEAR TO DATE

Qb - Duante Culpepper Minnesota

Rb - Jamal Lewis Baltimore

Wr - Andre Johnson Houston

T.e. - Doug Jolley N.Y.Jets

K - Matt Stover Baltimore

Def - Baltimore Ravens



Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Week #3 FANTASY FOOTBALL QUESTIONS???

Phillip writes:

Question:
which 2 rb's do i start? D.Mcallister, S.Davis or B.Westbrook

Answer:
my choice is Westbrook and Mcallister. they both play average at
best rush defenses. S.Davis plays a decent defense in the dolphins.
if you are in a yardage based scoring system these 2 are the best choices.
although davis saw the endzone 3 times last week, don't expect the same
results in miami.

Question:
phillip asks who do i start from the following ? Lee Evans, Marcus Robinson
or Braylon Edwards

Answer:
none of these are great options. Braylon had a 3 catch 107 yard performance
in week #2 vs a poor packers defense but this week finds another matchup
altogether with the newly formed indy colts (Dwight Freeney meet Trent
Dilfer). neither robinson or evans have been worthy of a start.
having said that i would start M.Robinson. Robinson
is due for a td score especially against a poor saints defense and with nate
burleson banged up with a minor knee sprain, culpepper will look towards
the veteran.

Beck, Greg wrote:

I am looking to pick up 1 or 2 WR’s, so far the ones I have are not
producing.
In my league we are not allowed to trade between teams, so we
can only pick up players that are not on a team. I am going to try
to get P. Burress (NYG) and dump M. Clayton (TB). My question
is should I also try to get K. Johnson (DAL) and dump
L. Fitzgerald (ARI). I really would like to get more points from
my WR’s, Fitzgerald has been the most consistent so far, but I
don’t know how many TD’s he will produce this season.
I also have A. Johnson (HOU) and S. Smith (CAR) but would
to hold onto these 2 for now.
Thanks, Greg

My advice was to wait a couple of weeks(the season is still young).
hold onto these widereceivers until then to see if their performance
continues to falter.
M.clayton had a decent week #2 and S.Smith will put up comparable
stats to that of which mushin muhammad put up in 2004.
Andre Johnson's performance and Houston's offense so far is a major
concern. perhaps the recent firing of o'coordinator palmer will be
beneficial to johnson(guess it couldn't hurt at this point). Fitzgerald
seems to be Warners main target.
To me the core of widereceivers Greg has are legitimate #1 starters.

Beck, Greg also asks

Ronnie, I want to replace Kicker M. Nugent (NYJ).
The choices I have available are J. Kasay (CAR), J. Scobee (JAX),
Tynes (KC), or J. Carney (NO).
I am leaning toward Kasay, but Scobee might get more attempts.
Can you provide some insight? Thanks. Greg

Response:
J.Kasay, handsdown.
he's perfect so far and has connected on fieldgoals of 51 & 52 yards.
no questioning his leg strength.

Question:
which defense should i pickup? N.Y.Giants, St.Louis Rams, S.F.49ers.


Answer:
N.Y.Giants.
p.s. avoid S.F.49er's defense until they play st.louis again.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #3 FRIDAYS FABULOUS FANTASY FIVE

Qb - Peyton Manning

Rb - Carnell Williams

Wr - Darrell Jackson

T.E. - Jason Witten

Def - Buffalo Bills

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #3 WHO TO START & WHO TO BENCH

WEEK #3 STUDS:

Qb - Donovan Mcnabb Philadelphia
Rb - Shaun Alexander Seattle
Wr - Torry Holt St.Louis
T.E. - Randy McMichael Miami
K - Jeff Reed Pittsburgh
Def - Jacksonville Jags

Who to bench:

Qb - Michael Vick Atlanta
Rb - Curtis Martin N.Y. Jets
Wr - ANY ATLANTA RECEIVER
T.E. - Steve Heiden Cleveland
K - Sebastian Janikowski Oakland
Def - Denver Broncos

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #2 WHO TO START & WHO TO BENCH

Week #2

Who to start:

Qb - Trent Green K.C. vs Oakland Raiders
Rb - Willie Parker Pittsburgh vs Houston Texans
Wr - Derrick Mason baltimore vs Tenneseee Titans
T.E. - Tony Gonzalez K.C. vs Oakland Raiders
K - John Kasay Carolina vs N.e.
Def - Philadelphia Eagles vs S.F 49er's @ home

Who to bench:

Qb - J.P. Losman Buffalo Bills vs Tampa Bay Bucs
Rb - Kevan Barlow S.F.49er's vs Phily Eagles
Wr - Michael Claton Tampa Bay Bucs vs Buffalo Bills
T.e. - Chris Baker N.Y.Jets vs Miami Dolphins
K - Jason Hason Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears
Def - San Francisco 49er's vs Phily Eagles


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

FANTASY FOOTBALL LINEUP QUESTION

Question:
FROM PAUL: Which 2 out of the 3 runningbacks should I start in week #2?

note: scoring system is based on 1 point for every 20 yards and
6pts for a td.
Willis Mcgahee, Tiki Barber or Cory dillon

Answer:
most people wish that had this so called dilemma. when selecting
runningbacks of this close or equal distinction, you can determine who to
select by comparing a couple of factors. any disparagies involving home
field advantage or an opponants rush defense in this instance should be
included.

player opponant defense rush yards allowed (2004)
Willis Mcgahee @ Tampa Bay (rush yards allowed 123.3)
Tiki Barber vs New Orleans (140.8 yds)
Cory Dillon @ Carolina (119.0 yds)

as you can see Tiki has both the best matchup and playing on his own
homefield. the next 2 can be as simple as a flip of the coin or the
old gut feeling (LAST RESORT).
Carolina might have an edge in defense but with the loss of pro-bowler
Kris Jenkins for the season (torn a.c.l.) that slight advantage is lost.
By assessing something this close i would select the best overall offense.
with Brady's ability to move the ball over J.P Losman's inability to do
such would make the ultimate decision a lot easier.

choice: Tiki Barber & Cory Dillon


SINCERELY, RONNIE KEESEE

FRIDAY'S FABULOUS FANTASY FIVE

The top fantasy five for week #2:

I will list 5 fantasy football stud's/player's for the upcoming week #2 at 5
different positions: Qb, Rb, Wr, T.e., & a defensive team.

I will try and make a concerted effort not to pick the peyton's, l.t's and moss's
each week with an occasional pick that leaves the question, WHAT or REALLY ??????

Qb - Marc Bulger ST.Louis Rams
comments: he might not throw for 362 yards against Arizona, but he will throw
in the neighborhood of 250 plus and should find the endzone a couple of times.

Rb - Priest Holmes K.C. Chiefs
comments: with the impending domestic violence charge loooming over the head
of quality backup Larry Johnson, (Dick Vermiel a stickler on, off the field issues)
might make a statement by playing Priest most of the game against a very suspect
defense in the Oakland Raiders.

Wr - Chad Johnson Cincinnati Bengals
comments: if joey galloway can amass just under a hundred yards against the vikings,
i believe that Chad (pepto bismol) Johnson can eclipse the century mark without a
problem.

T.e. - Antonio Gates San Diego Chargers
comments: after the holdout. after the 3 game suspension. and now against a very
average at best defense, think Gates has something to prove.

Defense - Baltimore Ravens
comments: after the spanking they received at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts,
look for the ravens to strike back at what appeared to be an anemic offense in the
Tennessee Titans.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

WEEK #1 FANTASY STUDS AND DUDS

Fantasy studs & duds at each positions:

Studs

Qb - Marc Bulger St.Louis: yards pass = 362, td's = 2, 1 int

Rb - Willie Parker Pittsburgh: rush yards = 161, rec yards = 48, 1td

Wr - Jimmy Smith jacksonville: rec yards = 130, 2 tds

T.e. - Chris Baker N.Y.Jets: rec yards = 124, 1td

K - Jeff Wilkins ST.Louis: fg's = 4, 1 xtra pt, no misses

Defense - Indianapolis colts: opponant scored only 7 points, 3 sacks, 3 int's,
1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive td.


Duds:

Qb - Duante Culpepper Minnesota: 233 yards pass, 3 ints, 2 fumbles lost, 12 yds rush,
0 tds.

Rb - Domanick Davis Houston: 48 yards rush, 1 fumble, 0 tds

Wr - Andre Johnson Houston: 18 yards rec, o tds

T.e. - Daniel Graham N.E. Patriots: 1 rec 17 yards, 0 tds

K - Matt Stover Balt : 3 missed fg's, 1 xtra pt.

Def - Baltimore Ravens: 24 points allowed, 0 int's, 0 fumble recoveries, 0 sacks,
0 td's.


Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

Who To Start & Who To Bench - Week #1

In the upcoming weeks, i will at random select 3 NFL games.
From these games, i will select players to start and others to bench.
note: The lions will appear more frequently then others.

Week#1

New England Patriots vs Oakland Raiders

Start:
Tom Brady - Raiders defense allowed 251.4 passing yards a game.
Corey Dillon - Raiders defense allowed 128.2 rushing yards a game.
Adam Vinatieri - should see some field goal opportunities.

Kerry Collins - won't put up huge numbers against the patriots defense
but should manage to find the endzone once or twice.
Randy Moss - when the lights come on, so does Randy. Against the defending
Superbowl champs, Moss will turn it up a notch and find the endzone at least once
but not surprised if he finds it again and again.
Sebastian Janikowski - some stalled drives by a good defense might allow
for some field goal chances.

Bench:

Lamont Jordon - New England Patriots defense is stout against the run.
losing Bruschi will hurt but not a great day for Jordon. will be a new role for
Jordon. carrying the rock for an entire game will probably tire in the fourth.
Oakland Raiders defense - Patriots make few mistakes.
Any New England widereceiver - Brady will spread the ball to several receivers.




Saint Louis Rams vs San Francisco 49er's

Start:
Marc Bulger - S.F. defense allowed 246 yards pass per game.
Any ST.Louis receiver especially named holt, torry that is.
Steven Jackson - (158.5 yards) that's the amount of yards per game the 49er's
defense allowed per game.
Rams defense - not known for their great defense but against the 49er's every
defense looks good.
Jeff wilkins -although he might only get field goals, there might me a lot of them.

bench:
All S.F. 49er's players/defense.




Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers

Start:
Kevin Jones - Packers allowed a miserable 142 yards a game.
Brett Favre - always seems to put up good numbers against an average
Lions secondary.
Javon walker & Donald Driver - should both put up a td and 80 plus yards.
Ahman Green - Lions defense always seems to give up the big numbers against Green.
Joey Harrington - although Packers defense has allowed an average of only
a 160 yards per game, joey will put up good numbers against a depleated secondary.
Ryan Longwell - one of the league's best kickers. should see at least 2-3 field goals
from this sure legged kicker.

Bench:
Jason Hason - has recorded double-digit points in just one of his past six contest
against the Packers and has averaged a mere seven points in that timeframe.
Any lions Receiver - joey will spread the ball but no one receiver should amount
over 100 yards. decent day for Roy and Charles but nothing great.

LINE-UP SUBMISSION ADVICE

If you are in need or just like a second opinion about your weekly line-ups,
injury, trade or general information regarding fantasy football please contact
the below listed email address for advice:

www.ronnie@lionbacker.com

When posting please note whether your league scoring system is a yardage
and/or td's orientated scoring system.
Also note your starting line-up requirements.

Sincerely, Ronnie Keesee

MY 2005 FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT

We drafted Saturday, august 27th (not too early to draft) .
Remember, do not draft too early. This avoids drafting elite players whom fall to injuries before or during the preseason.

How did my fantasy football draft go, you be the judge.

The draft started off on a high note.
By winning lasts years championship, i had the very last draw from 10 lottery balls.
Luck appeared on my side and i pulled the #1 lottery ball, the only remaining ball left.

My strategy from the start was to select 3 runningbacks in the first 3 rounds, then wait on a quarterback as long as i could. I also wanted to select a kicker and defense late.
Lets see how i did.

With the choice of any pick 1 thru 10, i decided to select the #1 pick overall.
All additional rounds would snake.


Pick/Round player position Team

#1 / (#1 overall) Ladainian Tomlinson rb San Diego Chargers
#2 / (20th overall) Jamal Lewis rb Baltimore ravens
#3 / (21st overall) Ahman Green rb Green Bay Packers
#4 / (40th overall) Steve Smith wr Carolina Panthers
#5 / (41st overall) Michael Clayton wr Tampa Bay Bucs
#6 / (60th overall) Derrick Mason wr Baltimore ravens
#7 / (61st overall) Pittsburgh's D def Pittsburgh Steelers
#8 / (80th overall) Chris Chambers wr Miami Dolphins
#9 / (100th overall) Aaron Brooks qb New Orleans Saints
#10 / (101st overall) Jake Delhomme qb Carolina Panthers
#11 / (120th overall) Ryan Longwell k Green Bay Packers
#12 / (121st overall) Dallas's D def Dallas Cowboys
#13 / (140th overall) Jeff Wilkins k St. Louis Rams
#14 / (141st overall) Brandon Stokley wr Indianapolis Colts
#15 / (160th overall) Nick Goings rb Carolina Panthers
#16 / (161st overall) Trent Dilfer qb Cleveland Browns

Comments:

As you can see, i was able to get 3 premium runningbacks from the first 3 rounds.

I was then able to pick 3 widereceivers in the next 3 rounds (4th thru 6th).
By doing this i was able to strengthen my overall team for obvious trade bait and
depth issues on the bench in case of injuries.

I was still able to select Pittsburgh's defense in the 7th round (not too early) and in my opinion
second only to the Baltimore Ravens in overall total defense rating .

I didn't select a qb until the 9th & 10th rounds when i got both Aaron Brooks and Jake Delhomme.
From the start i have preached that after selecting Peyton Manning, Donovan Mcnabb &
Daunte Culpepper the drop off between quarterbacks #4 thru #15 isn't worth selecting one any earlier and for the most part the statistics are very similar if not better.

Jake Delhomme qb
passing yards - 3886 (rated #6 overall) pass tds - 29 (rated #5) int's - 15 rush tds - 1
As you can see by selecting Jake Delhomme in the 10th round (101st overall) i was still able to
draft a top ten qb in such a late round.

They only thing you need to know about my kickers is that, i selected both a strong legged
kicker in Longwell and an inside (dome) kicker in Jeff Wilkins. By selecting a dome kicker i assured myself that inclimate weather would be a non factor.

I also made sure that positions where only 2-3 players/teams (defense/kicker and also quarterback) existed that, i had not linked the 2 or 3 on the same bye week.

No draft is ever perfect.
I feel as though i had a very strong draft.
I wanted to select backups for my runningbacks but it seemed as if everytime i approached that strategy, that player was selected just picks before my selection.

I feel that i don't need to do a blockbuster deal but, i will look to provide my starting runningbacks with their backups in small type transactions.

The regular season is fast approaching and the greatest sport in the world begins with a classic
confrontation between the defending superbowl champions New England Patroits and the Oakland Raiders with newly acquired Randy Moss.

Are you ready for some football, i certainly am.

SINCERELY, RONNIE KEESEE

DOES LUCK PLAY A ROLE IN FANTASY FOOTBALL?

Does luck play a role in fantasy football - you bet it does.

You can do all the homework you need to do.
Have the perfect draft.
Have an extensive knowledge over all aspects of the game.
Develope complex strategies.
But if luck doesn't fly your way, the results can come up just short of perfect (superbowl champion).

We had our fantasy football draft saturday and with the last draw i pulled the #1 lottery ball.
to this i say,"it's better to be lucky than good sometimes".

Playing an inside (dome) kicker over an outside kicker when the weather prohibits the outside kicker of scoring a single point isn't lucky it's doing your homework.

Luck is when your quarterback throws an interception (-2 points in our league) but gets it called back on a pass interference call; evenafter, the replay shows it was obviously a bogus call by the offical.

Being unlucky is when your runningback/widereceiver etc.. with no history of any injuries, tears their a.c.l. while falling just short of the goalline.

Having a player (with an extensive history of knee problems) tear their a.c.l. isn't unlucky it's just the law of probabilities unfortunately playing it's course.

Injuries are part of the game. Some come as a complete surprise, while others are just assumed to happen inevitably (see websters Fred Taylor).

Luck also happens when you have 5 players on the bye (misjudgement in drafting) yet the schedule gods pray on you by going against the worst team in the league and you still pull off
the victory.

Remember, you can do all right moves: that much you can control.
But the one thing you can't control is luck.

The great thing about fantasy football is on any given day, anything can happen and will.

SINCERELY, RONNIE KEESEE

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL TEAM DEFENSES

TOP 25 DEFENSES

#1 baltimore ravens
#2 pittsburgh steelers
#3 buffalo bills
#4 carolina panthers
#5 new england patriots
#6 philadelphia eagles
#7 atlanta falcons
#8 jacksonville jaguars
#9 n.y. jets
#10 dallas cowboys
#11 washington redskins
#12 san diego chargers
#13 denver broncos
#14 tampa bay buccaneers
#15 chicago bears
#16 minnesota vikings
#17 miami dolphins
#18 cincinnati bengals
#19 indianapolis colts
#20 arizona cardinals
#21 detroit lions
#22 seattle seahawks
#23 n.y. giants
#24 st. louis rams
#25 kansas city chiefs

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL TIGHTENDS

TOP 25 TIGHTENDS

#1 tony gonzalez
#2 antonio gates
#3 jason witten
#4 alge crumpler
#5 todd heap
#6 dallas clark
#7 randy mcmichael
#8 jermaine wiggins
#9 daniel graham
#10 eric johnson
#11 l.j. smith
#12 jeremy shockey
#13 bubba franks
#14 marcus pollard
#15 jeb putzier
#16 doug jolly
#17 itula mili
#18 jerramy stevens
#19 chris cooley
#20 ben watson
#21 health miller
#22 erron kinney
#23 freddie jones
#24 matt schobel
#25 boo williams

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL KICKERS

TOP 25 KICKERS

#1 adam vinatieri
#2 david akers
#3 mike vanderjagt
#4 jason elam
#5 ryan longwell
#6 matt stover
#7 sebastian janikowski
#8 jeff wilkins
#9 shayne graham
#10 josh brown
#11 nate kaeding
#12 jeff reed
#13 jason hason
#14 john carney
#15 john kasay
#16 paul edinger
#17 lawrence tynes
#18 todd peterson
#19 mike nugent
#20 neil rackers
#21 olindo mare
#22 rian lindell
#23 jay feely
#24 john hall
#25 phil dawson

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL WIDERECEIVERS

TOP 25 WIDERECEIVERS

#1 terrell owens
#2 randy moss
#3 marvin harrison
#4 torry holt
#5 chad johnson
#6 javon walker
#7 reggie wayne
#8 joe horn
#9 andre johnson
#10 nate burleson
#11 michael clayton
#12 steve smith
#13 hines ward
#14 darrell jackson
#15 laveranues coles
#16 chris chambers
#17 drew bennett
#18 derrick mason
#19 donald driver
#20 larry fitzgerald
#21 isaac bruce
#22 anquan boldin
#23 jimmy smith
#24 muhsin muhammad
#25 plaxico burress

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL RUNNINGBACKS

TOP 25 RUNNINGBACKS

#1 ladainian tomlinson
#2 priest holmes
#3 shaun alexander
#4 edgerrin james
#5 willis mcgahee
#6 domanick davis
#7 duece mcallister
#8 corey dillon
#9 jamal lewis
#10 clinton portis
#11 ahman green
#12 julius jones
#13 kevin jones
#14 rudi johnson
#15 tiki barber
#16 curtis martin
#17 steven jackson
#18 brian westbrook
#19 lamont jordan
#20 warrick dunn
#21 carnell williams
#22 de'shaun foster
#23 tatum bell (mike anderson)
#24 jj arrington
#25 fred taylor

MY TOP 25 FANTASY FOOTBALL QUARTERBACKS

TOP 24 QUARTERBACKS

#1 peyton manning
#2 daunte culpepper
#3 donovan mcnabb
#4 marc bulger
#5 trent green
#6 tom brady
#7 matt hasselbeck
#8 brett favre
#9 michael vick
#10 kerry collins
#11 aaron brooks
#12 jake delhomme
#13 jake plummer
#14 drew brees
#15 carson palmer
#16 chad pennington
#17 david carr
#18 ben roethlisberger
#19 kurt warner
#20 joey harrington
#21 byron leftwich
#22 steve mcnair
#23 drew bledsoe
#24 brian griese
#25 eli manning

STRATEGIES FOR LINE-UP SUBMISSION

THIS WEEKS TOPICS WILL COVER STRATEGIES AND LINE-UP SUBMISSION FOR EACH POSITION.

WHEN SELECTING QUARTER-BACKS MAKE SURE THEIR WIDE-RECEIVERS ARE GOOD. HAVING A GOOD QB THAT HAVE RECEIVERS THAT "COULDN'T CATCH A COLD" WON'T PRODUCE. MAKE SURE THAT THE OFFENSE CAN MOVE THE BALL. PAST STATS WILL HELP YOU SEE THE PROGRESSION OF A QB AND USUALLY WON'T FALL TOO FAR OFF THE MAP. MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU SELECT A BACK-UP THAT HE IS NOT ON THE SAME BYE WEEK. AVOID SELECTING A QB IN THE FIRST ROUND UNLESS IT'S ONE OF THE ELITE QB'S (PEYTON MANNING / CULPEPPER). THE FALL OFF IS SEVERE AND THE MIDDLE RANGE QB'S FROM #4 TO #20 AREN'T THAT MUCH DIFFERENT.

WHEN SELECTING RUNNING-BACKS MAKE SURE THAT THE TEAM DOES NOT EMPLOY THE DREADED RUNNING-BACK BY COMMITTEE APPROACH. AVOID ANEMIC
OFFENSES. WHENEVER POSSIBLE SELECT A RUNNIN-BACK IN THE FIRST ROUND AND ATTEMPT WHEN POSSIBLE TO SELECT 3 RB'S IN YOUR FIRST 5 PICKS.
MOST LEAGUES WILL ALLOW 3 RUNNIN-BACKS AND IF THIS IS THE CASE THAN BY ALL MEANS DO SO. WHEN SELECTING RB'S TRY TO AVOID SELECTING TOO MANY ON THE BYE WEEK ;HOWEVER, DO NOT SKIP ON AN ELITE RB BECAUSE OF THIS RULE (EXCEPTION TO THE RULE).
A COMMON RULE TO COMTEMPLATE IS IF AN ELITE RB LIKE PRIEST IS SELECTED (WHO HAS SUSTAINED SEVERAL INJURIES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS) THEN DRAFT THE BACK-UP IN THE MIDDLE TO LATE ROUNDS (LARRY JOHNSON).
IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING OVER 2 EQUAL RB'S THEN TRY TO SELECT THE ONE WHO RECEIVES THE BEST.
AGE MUST BE A CONSIDERATION. IF YOU HAVE AN AGING RB THEN THAT BACK-UP WOULD BE A NICE SELECTION.
AVOID ROOKIES EARLY IN THE DRAFT. ALTHOUGH SOME RB'S AS ROOKIES HAVE PRODUCED AT A HIGH LEVEL MOST ROOKIES EITHER DO NOT CARRY THE LOAD ENOUGH OR SIMPLY TAKE AT LEAST A YEAR TO BLOSSUM.

WHEN SELECTING A WIDE-RECEIVER AVOID FIRST ROUND PICKS UNLESS THEIR NAMES ARE T.O. AND RANDY MOSS. NEVER SELECT A WR IN THE FIRST 5 PICKS - PERIOD!!!! MAKE SURE THE WR HAS A GOOD QB. IF THAT QB LOCKS ON YOUR RECEIVER AND APPEARS TO BE THEIR FAVORITE THEN PICK AHEAD OF ONE WHO SHARES THE LOAD WITH OTHERS. ADDRESS THE STATS WHEN IT COMES TO BOTH RECEIVING YARDS AND RECEPTIONS. AVOID WR'S WHO SEEM TO DROP THE BALL TO OFTEN (KOREN ROBINSON).


NEVER SELECT A TIGHT-END IN THE FIRST 2 ROUNDS. THERE ARE A SHORT LIST OF VIABLE TE'S TO SELECT FROM. TONY GONZO / ANTONIO GATES / CRUMPLER / WITTEN TO LIST A FEW. SELECT TE'S WHO HAVE THE KNACK OF PRODUCING IN THE RED ZONE.
AVOID THE HYPE (SHOCKEY) ON CERTAIN PLAYERS - MORE MOUTH THAN PRODUCTION. IF YOUR LEAGUE DOESN'T REQUIRE A T.E. THEN SELECT A WIDE-RECEIVER 9 OUT OF 10 TIMES OVER THE T.E. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF WEAK AT THE T.E. THEN LOOK FOR MATCH-UPS DISPERAGIES.

NEVER EVER SELECT A KICKER EARLY.CERTAIN KICKER'S ARE ALWAYS
SELECTED EACH YEAR IN THE FIRST 3-4 ROUNDS AND THAT PICK JUST LEAVES ONE MORE ELITE QB/RB/WR REMAINING ON THE BOARD FOR OPPOSING OWNERS.
SELECT INSIDE(DOME) KICKERS BEFORE COLD WEATHER KICKERS. AVOID LOW OUTPUT TEAMS. AVOID KICKERS WHO ARE WEAK IN FIELD GOALS MADE. TRY TO SELECT KICKERS WHO ATTEMPT A LOT OF FG'S. LEG STRENGTH IS IMPORTANT BUT ACCURACY IS THE KEY.

SELECTING DEFENSES SHOULD BE DONE IN THE MIDDLE ROUNDS AT THE EARLIEST. STATS WILL BE PREVALENT. THE TURNOVER RATIO AND DEFENSIVE SCORING STATS WILL PROVE INVALUABLE. MATCH-UPS WILL BE THE KEY FACTOR.
AVOID TEAMS THAT ALLOW TOO MANY POINTS. SELECT TEAMS THAT HOLD THE OPPONENT TO UNDER 14 POINTS WEEKLY.

SPECIAL NOTE:

DO NOT OVER STRATIGIZE.
PLAY THE ELITE PLAYERS REGARDLESS OF THE MATCH-UPS.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
DO NOT SECOND GUESS YOUR PICKS IF YOU HAVE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK.

MONDAY MORNING QB IS NOT AN OPTION:
SELECTING JABAR GAFFNEY WHO SCORED 2 TD'S AND 156YDS RECEIVING OVER L.TOMLINSON IS NOT AN OPTION.

GUT FEELINGS ARE OK IF THEY ARE WITHIN LEGITIMITE CONSIDERATION.

ALWAYS SELECT THE PLAYERS THAT ARE MOST CONSISTANT AND HAVE GOTTEN YOU TO THE POINT YOU ARE AT.

SELECTING RUNNING-BACKS EARLY AND MAKING THEM YOUR TEAMS STRENGTH WILL BE A GUIDE TO PROVIDING THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITITY TO SUCCEED.

BE ACTIVE IN YOUR LEAGUE. ALWAYS LOOK FOR SLEEPERS.ALWAYS PERUSE
THE WAIVER WIRE FOR HIDDEN GEMS. MAKE TRADES THAT WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR TEAM AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS.

AVOID INJURY PLAGUED PLAYERS. AVOID AGING PLAYERS.
AVOID OVER-STRATEGIZING - KEEP IT SIMPLE.

SCAN FOR INJURIES EVERYDAY. SOME PLAYERS WILL NOT PLAY, ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE JUST BEFORE KICKOFF.

HAVE FUN !!!!!!!!!


SINCERELY, RONNIE KEESEE

HOW TO PREPARE FOR FANTASY FOOTBALL

THE "HOW TO PREPARE FOR FANTASY FOOTBALL PHASE".

NOW THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THE FUNDAMENTALS AND THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF HOW TO PLAY FANTASY FOOTBALL, LET US CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PHASE.

PLAYER RANKING'S
WE FIRST NEED TO COLLECT OR COMPILE PLAYER ROSTER'S FROM EACH TEAM.
LIST THE APPARENT STARTERS FROM EACH TEAM.
IF THE TEAM HAS 2 LEGITIMITE STARTING PLAYERS AT A CERTAIN POSITION LIST BOTH.
ONCE THIS HAS BEEN DONE LIST ALL THE PLAYER'S ACCORDING TO POSITION (QB / RB ...ETC...).

YOU CAN GO TO NFL.COM / SPORTINGNEWS.COM / ESPN.COM / SPORTSLINE.COM AND SEVERAL OTHERS TO
FIND STATISTICAL DATA ON EACH PLAYER.

MAKE A LIST OF THE:

QUARTER-BACKS
PASSING YARDAGE / NUMBER OF PASSING TD'S, RUSHING TOUCH - DOWNS / INTERCEPTION'S / FUMBLES / COMPLETION PERCENTAGE.

RUNNING-BACKS
RUSHING YARDAGE / RUSHING TD'S / RECEIVING YARDS / RECEIVING TD'S / FUMBLES / YARDS PER CARRY.

WIDE-RECEIVERS / TIGHT-END
RECEIVER YARDS / RECEIVING TD'S / RUSHING YARDS /
RUSHING TD'S / FUMBLES / DROP PASSES / YARDS PER CATCH / YARDS AFTER THE CATCH.

KICKER
FIELD GOALS MADE / FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED / MISSED FIELD GOALS (NUMBER & YARDAGES) / EXTRA POINTS MADE & MISSED.

DEFENSE (TEAM)
POINTS ALLOWED / SACKS / INTERCEPTIONS / FUMBLE RECOVERY / SAFETY / BLOCKED PUNTS / BLOCKED FIELD GOAL / BLOCKED EXTRA POINT / NUMBER OF SPECIAL TEAMS & DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS.

SCORING SYSTEM
YOU SHOULD MAKE A COPY OF THE SCORING SYSTEM FOR YOUR LEAGUE. REMEMBER, EACH LEAGUE WILL BE DIFFERENT AND ANALYZING THE SCORING SYSTEM WILL HELP YOU DETERMINE THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH POSITION. IN COMPARISON WITH THE SCORING SYSTEM THE DETERMINING FACTOR TO EITHER SELECT A CERTAIN PLAYER AT A CERTAIN SELECTION/PICK IN A DRAFT WILL BE MADE MORE CLEAR.

NOTE:
ONCE YOU HAVE RANKED EACH PLAYER ACCORDING TO POSITION, NOW YOU NEED TO RANK THE PLAYERS OVERALL.

BYE WEEKS
MAKE SURE TO ALSO HAVE A LIST OF THE BYE WEEKS. THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE IMPORTANT. THE OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO NOT PUT TOO MANY EGGS IN ONE BASKET - LET ME EXPLAIN.
IF YOU HAVE TOO MANY PLAYERS ON ONE BYE WEEK IT WILL ALMOST ASSUREDLY RESULT IN A LOSS. ALSO YOU WANT TO REFRAIN FROM SELECTING TOO MANY PLAYERS IN ONE POSITION ON THE BYE WEEK.

WEEK #3 STARTS THE BYE WEEKS.
TRY TO AVOID THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE:
WEEK #3 BYE WEEK TEAMS - BALTIMORE, DETROIT, HOUSTON AND WASHINGTON.

IF YOU SELECT 3 QUARTER-BACKS: JOEY HARRINGTON, DAVID CARR AND KYLE BOLLER, WEEK #3 WILL LEAVE YOU WITHOUT A QUARTER-BACK.
WRITE DOWN EACH PLAYERS BYE WEEK NUMBER NEXT TO THEIR POSITION OF OVERALL RANKING.
BY DOING THIS IT WILL AVOID PICKING TOO MANY PLAYERS WITH THE SAME BYE WEEK.
"THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE":
IF YOU SELECT AN ELITE PLAYER, THE FACT THAT IT'S THE PLAYER'S SAME BYE WEEK WITH ANOTHER PLAYER YOU HAVE ALREADY SELECTED SHOULD NOT BE A FACTOR.
THE CONSIDERATION IS WAIVED BECAUSE OF THE PLAYER'S IMPORTANCE, REGARDLESS.

WHETHER YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION FROM A FANTASY FOOTBALL BOOK OR SOME WEB SITE MAKE SURE TO USE AS MUCH DATA AS POSSIBLE TO ALLEVIATE THE BIAS OF CERTAIN PLAYERS AND ALSO GET AN OBJECTIBLE ANALYSIS.

DO NOT DRAFT TOO EARLY!!!!!
BY DRAFTING EARLY YOU WILL RISK THE CHANCE OF SELECTING A PLAYER AND THAT PLAYER SUSTAINING A SEASON ENDING INJURY BEFORE THE REGULAR SEASON BEGINS (ESPECIALLY AN ELITE FRANCHISE TYPE PLAYER).

INJURY REPORTS
MAKE SURE TO ALWAYS CHECK THE STATUS OF ANY AND ALL STARTING PLAYERS. THE INJURY REPORTS WILL SHOW YOU THE STATUS OF THE PLAYERS.
INJURY STATUS IS TERMED AS SUCH:
PROBABLE - 75% HE WILL PLAY (REALISTICALLY 90%).
QUESTIONABLE - 50% HE WILL PLAY.
DOUBTFUL - (LEAVE THE PLAYER OUT IF TERMED THIS).
OUT - SELF EXPLAINATORY.

ADVICE: MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE PRE-GAME INJURY TICKER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN TO ALLOW FOR THE UPDATES. SOMETIMES THEY REVEAL INJURIES OR SUDDEN ILLNESSES THAT WOULD BE OTHERWISE UNKNOWN.

NEXT ARTICLE WILL DEAL WITH SOME FANTASY FOOTBALL STRATEGIES AND ADDRESS LINE-UP SUBMISSIONS. WE WILL ALSO NOTE SOME COMMON MISTAKES AND MISNOMERS.

SINCERELY, RONNIE KEESEE

FANTASY FOOTBALL 101

DO YOU HEAR IT CALLING YOU?

It's that time of year again.
What am I talking about?
Fantasy football of course.
It's drraft is second only to the NFL's draft.

Could you ever imagine 10 years ago the incredible interest and expansion of fantasy football? It has become a billion dollar industry.

IN the upcoming weeks we will discuss several topics about fantasy football. Topics will range from the basic format of how it's played (perspective for the novice) to the so-called expert's strategies. We will compile top rankings from each position (QB, RB, WR, TE, K and D). We will also list a top-100 overall.

We will employ strategy for drafting players & line-up sumbmissions.
We will show you common mistakes and misnomers.
We will show you how to arrange cheat sheets.
We will give you the basic tools needed to develop the winning edge necessary by each owner not only to play, but to excel at a high level against admirable competition.
We will discuss sleeper's, no-brainers and last but not least those whom you should stay far way from.

I often get asked by novice enthusiast, how does it work? They want to play, but have no earthly idea the format or structure of how the game of fantasy football is played.

So to begin I say, let's go over the basics.

1A - each league has their own format and their own set of rules governing their league.

1B - each league usually has either 8, 10, or 12 teams in the leauge.

1C - each league has it's own commissioner to establish rules and structure.

1D - most leagues use computer web sites for their league operations.

1E - depending on the league's web site, trades, transactions (pickups/drops/insured reserve moves are all part of the options available for each owner).

We will use an example league so as to illustrate to the novice just how fantasy football can be played.

The league will have a league name titled to it.

This example leagule has 10 owners/GMs.

The league is divided into 2 divisions (East & West) - 5 teams in each.

A schedule is made automatically to show each owner who they will play each week throught the season.

Players fill the rosters by having a league draft.

Order of the draft can be as easy as a draw or some returning leagues start with the worst team in the previous season selecting first and the first team selecting last and then snake (flip-flop each round). Some draw for each round.

Team rosters consist of 15 players:
3 QB (quarterbacks)
4 RB (running backs)
4 WR (side receivers)
2 K (kickers)
2 D (defensive teams)

Starting lineups require seven players:

1 QB (example: Peyton Manning)

*****************************************************************************

any combination of 4 players as follows:

3 RB (example: Ahman Green, Kevin Jones, Tiki Barber)
1 WR/TE (example: Terrell Owens/Tony Gonzalez)

"OR"

3 WR and 1 RB

"OR"

2 RB and 2 WR

*****************************************************************************

1 K (example: Jason Hanson)

*****************************************************************************

1 D (example: Baltimore Ravens)

*****************************************************************************

Note: All leagues will be different is some aspect or another, but the basic priciples are still the same.

The league in question plays head-to-head. Meaning, that each team/owner will play another team/owner for win and loss configuration.

How do you determine wins and losses? It's the points. These points are tabulated by a scoring system adopted by each league. The points are obtained by the players performance.

Example: LaDainian Tomlinson rushes for 163 yards, scores 3 TDs while receiving for 49 yards.

General scoring base would give at least:
16 points for 160 yards rushing (1 point for every 10 yards rushing)
12 points for 2 TD's (6 points each) and 4 points for 48 yards receiving (1 point for every 10 yards receiving)
TOTAL = 32 PTS

When scores are tallied up for all 7 starters, the total against their opponents total determines who wins or loses.

After 14 games are played the regular season ends and the playoff begin.

4 teams make the playoffs, 2 division winners and the teams with the best records remaining. The teams in the playoffs are given rankins or seeded to determine who plays who.

The winners of each semifinal play for the fantasy football championship.

The winners name is placed on a trophy for the ultimate bragging rights.

Soon to come: How to prepare for the draft!

Sincerly,
Ronnie Keesee

Welcome to the Lionbacker Fantasy Football Blog

By Paul Donaghy
LIONBACKER

Welcome to Lionbacker's Fantasy Football blog, the first blog for Lionbacker. Ronnie Keesee, Lionbacker's fantasy football expert will be bringing you exciting fantasy news and opinions throughout the season.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?