Thursday, July 16, 2009

Who to Pass on in 09

It's almost that time of year again...when the Top 10 Plays on ESPN aren't the same old boring diving baseball catch or home run (Oh, how I hate baseball season) and we finally get to see some real highlights. Let's face it, any Little League kid can catch a ball and throw a guy out at first, but it takes a real athlete (yep, I just called out all baseball players that ever lived) to run over six guys on his way to a touchdown. A new football season calls for a new fantasy football season and if you plan on winning your league then you need to start getting ready now.

That being said, you will probably start reading a lot of projections and articles on who to pick up this year. Well, here is my two cents (for now). Here are a few players that I don't want anywhere near my roster this year. Picking up one of these guys could easily force you to scramble later on to find a replacement and when the waiver wire is looking pretty hopeless, so are your chances of bringing home your league trophy.


Quarterbacks

Tom Brady

Last year Tom Brady was a legit first round selection that was guaranteed to give you crazy fantasy points week in and week out - and then the ACL tear in the first game. So many first round selections down the tube along with fantasy league championships lost on that one play. Brady had a few setbacks with his surgery and rehab early last year, but apparently ended up recovering well - say the Patriots. Coach Bilicheck gives as many straight answers on the injury report as Mark McGwire does under oath. An ACL tear is no joke and even after months of rest and rehab he is not going to be 100% this year. Maybe a 80% Brady is good for you but not for me. Besides, he may be too broken hearted over those missing flower boxes or thinking about how hot his wife is to concentrate on the game. There are better options for your top QB this year.

Carson Palmer

Like Brady, Carson Palmer is coming off a major injury to begin the season, a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Kind of a big deal if you are the guy slinging the rock. Palmer chose to rehab the injury rather than taking the surgical route like Jake Delhomme did. The Bengals dont exactly have an all star offensive line either and its hard to throw a touchdown while laying on your back. Housh has departed for Seattle and Ochocinco isn't the same as Chad Johnson he used to be - literally actually. You don't want Palmer as your starter this year. Draft a QB earlier and make someone else pick him up.

Running Backs

Brian Westbrook

It doesnt seem like the Eagles have enough Ace bandages to keep West-breezy on the field. For the last few years we all seem to get lured back into the Westbrook trap - he looks and feels good in training camp says Andy Reid - and we know he could bust out with 200 total yards and a couple TDs in any game, so we draft him. He does well for a game or two and you think man, this guy is crazy good - then he gets hurt. In addition to injuries, the Eagles drafted LeSean McCoy who could steal some touches and signed Leonard Weaver at fullback who could steal some receptions from him. Oh, and he is hurt right now and might miss all of training camp. With all this going on he isn't worth your time.

Ryan Grant

I'm still not sold on Ryan Grant as a featured back. He is better suited for a platoon approach rather than shouldering the majority of the load himself. Given that Aaron Rodgers proved he does have the skills to replace Favre the Packers went back to passing a lot since Grant was only giving them just over 3 yards per carry. The only thing he has going for him is that there really isnt anyone to challenge him for his job so he will get carries. Let a die hard Packers fan make the mistake of drafting him and use your pick more wisely.

Wide Receivers

Terrell Owens

Getcha pop corn (or tissues) ready - its about to be another circus. Do you really think T.O. is going to get the ball more than he did in Dallas? That might be impossible. T.O.'s problem wasn't that he wasn't getting looks, he wasnt catching the ball. His hands seem to be turning into stone in his old age. With new QB and future scapegoat Trent Edwards he doesn't have the most experienced QB getting him the ball. Too many chances for off the field problems to effect on the field production. I would draft someone else.


Antonio Bryant

Antonio finally had a good year with the Buccaneers after jumping from team to team over the last few seasons. Putting up 1200 yards receiving and adding 7 tds that might have been good enough to add him to your draft "wish list" this year, but you should still be wary of Antonio. He isn't exactly Mr. Consistency and could easily fall back to earth this season. Really he didnt even turn it on until late last year, so even last year he was inconsistent. Oh, and we still don't know who the QB is going to be in Tampa Bay which doesnt provide a lot of time to build chemistry with Antonio. He is like a box of chocolates - and you know what that means... he shouldn't be trusted to be on your fantasy football team.

1 comment:

  1. Maybe Tom Brady's wife is really hot. You can't really concentrate on something if your thinking is out of what you are doing.^_^

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